By Eric Thomas: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Sergio Martinez could end up fighting 38-year-old Winky Wright (51-5-1, 25 KO’s) if a fight between Martinez and undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. doesn’t happen, according to Sportsillustratrated. Martinez, 35, is going to wait and see if a bout between him and Mayweather can be put together. If not, then he could be facing Wright instead. This is an okay fight, but not quite as interesting as a rematch with Paul Williams, Kermit Cintron or Kelly Pavlik.
Sergio Martinez
Sergio Martinez
Mayweather needs to fight Sergio Martinez next
By Dan Ambrose: Undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. needs to set his sights on fighting WBC/WBO middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KO’s) next instead of wasting his time and patience on trying to put together a fight with Manny Pacquiao. Martinez, 35, is reportedly willing to take the random blood tests that Mayweather wants. This is just another, among many, fighters that are willing to agree to the random blood testing that Mayweather wants in order to get a fight with him.
Sergio Martinez free to pursue other fight options after Pavlik’s move out of middleweight division
By Jason Kim: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KO’s) is now free to pursue a big money fight now that former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has decided not to use his rematch clause in his contract and ask for a rematch with Martinez. This is more than good news for the 35-year-old Martinez, because he could potentially be next in line for a fight against unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. , if Mayweather isn’t able to put together a fight with Manny Pacquiao in the near term. Martinez defeated Pavlik by a 12 round unanimous decision last month on April 17th in an impressive performance.
Martinez interested in fighting Margarito if Pavlik rematch doesn’t happen
Bu Jason Kim: WBC/WBO middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KO’s) is interested in fighting a rematch against Antonio Margarito (38-6, 27 KO’s) if former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KO’s) doesn’t use the rematch clause he has in his contract with Martinez for their last fight on April 17th. In that fight, Martinez gave Pavlik a boxing lesson, defeating him by a 12 round unanimous decision and taking both of Pavlik’s middleweight titles. Martinez, 35, would prefer not to have to fight Pavlik again, because there are potentially more lucrative fights out there for Martinez like Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Margarito.
Pavlik still hasn’t decided to fight Martinez or not
By Jim Dower: The news from HBO analyst Larry Merchant about former World Boxing Council/World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KO’s) deciding to not use his rematch clause with Sergio Martinez is false, according to Pavlik’s trainer Jack Loew. After Saturday night’s fight between Kermit Cintron and Paul Williams, Merchant said that Pavlik wouldn’t be fighting a rematch with Martinez and that he wouldn’t be fighting at middleweight any longer. However, in an interview at Vindy.com, Pavlik’s trainer, Loew says “I don’t know where Larry Merchant got that, I really don’t.”
Pavlik to pass on rematch with Martinez – Sergio could now face Mayweather
By Jason Kim: Former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KO’s) will be passing on his rematch with Sergio Martinez, according to news from HBO Larry Merchant. Unfortunately, the 28-year-old Pavlik is having problems making the middleweight limit of 160, as evidenced by his coming into the Martinez fight weighing a hefty 178 on fight night on April 17th. The weight ended up slowing down Pavlik and causing him to run out of gas in the second half of the fight. Pavlik put on 18 pounds after the weigh-in for the fight.
Pavlik has until May 17th to decide on fighting Martinez again – News
By Jim Dower: Former World Boxing Council/WBO middleweight champion (36-2, 32 KO’s) has only until May 17th to decide whether to utilize his rematch clause with Sergio Martinez. If Pavlik, 28, doesn’t make a decision by the 17th, he’ll lose his chance at fighting Martinez. This would give Martinez the chance to move forward for a big money fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., who has mentioned being interested in fighting Martinez.
Sergio Martinez says he’ll fight Pavlik and then Mayweather
By Dan Ambrose: Newly crowned WBC/WBO middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KO’s) says he’ll fight a rematch with former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik – if Pavlik decides on using his rematch clause – and then fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. after that. Mayweather, 33, mentioned, after his recent 12 round decision win over Shane Mosley last weekend, being interested in possibly fighting Martinez next if Mayweather’s potential mega fight with Manny Pacquiao doesn’t get made.
Mayweather needs to fight Sergio Martinez next and forget about the Pacquiao fight
By Dave Lahr: As much as it might be an interesting match-up between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, I think Mayweather needs to forget about that fight happening and instead go after WBC/WBO middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KO’s). That fight is the most realistic option that Mayweather available to him in the future, not a fight against Pacquiao. While I think the bout against Pacquiao is the more appealing fight because of the fan interest it would draw, I just don’t think it’s humanly possible to make the fight happen now or in the future.
Pavlik may have to fight Martinez again to regain credibility
By Sean McDaniel: Whether former WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KO’s) likes it or not, he may very well have to fight a rematch with newly crowned WBC/WBO middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KO’s) to recapture credibility with boxing fans. Pavlik, 28, has lost a lot of status with his disappointing 12 round unanimous decision defeat to the 35-year-old Martinez last weekend on April 17th because of how decisive the loss was. This wasn’t just the first time that Pavlik had taken a pounding.