Thread: Sergio Martinez... What's happened?

He looked TERRIBLE in his fight against Murray. Is he just getting old?

Probably is age and also injury after the JC Junior fight. The inactivity has hurt him.

Didn't he start late as well?

Originally Posted by greynotsoold

Didn't he start late as well?

Yes I think he did and he played a lot of soccer and cycled loads which as Master will testify, often wrecks your knees.

Are we just not giving Murray enough credit? He fought a good fight that looked to frustrate Martinez. Given it was his first fight in Argentina for a very long time he was really looking to impress and threw shots that were never going to land cleanly and left himself open to more shots then usual.

Originally Posted by Silkeyjoe

Are we just not giving Murray enough credit? He fought a good fight that looked to frustrate Martinez. Given it was his first fight in Argentina for a very long time he was really looking to impress and threw shots that were never going to land cleanly and left himself open to more shots then usual.

Sergio stopped Barker and Macklin also comprehensively beating a near light heavy in Chavez. Sergio performance has more to do with injury and inactivity than Murray performing well.

Originally Posted by Silkeyjoe

Are we just not giving Murray enough credit? He fought a good fight that looked to frustrate Martinez. Given it was his first fight in Argentina for a very long time he was really looking to impress and threw shots that were never going to land cleanly and left himself open to more shots then usual.

I think this is right. Murray may not be the best boxer of the domestic crop but he is teak tough, dogged and determined and I think Sergio underestimated him. He dropped the champion and pushed him much closer than the cards reflected. That was not all down to Martinez' wear and tear and had a lot to do with Murray's constant pressure.

Sadly, as much as i am hoping against it. I think the fame has gone to his head. Dictating the fight happen in Argentina and i think after the fight, he referred to himself as a "superstar". I winced when I heard that word.

I'm not 100% sure. He looked spectacular against Junior for 11 rounds, and he even fought back in the final seconds on the 12th round to show his heart, but it appears the injuries he suffered in the Junior fight didn't heal properly. Allegedly, he is fighting again in March/April. We'll make a final assessment then, but it appears that his body is getting to the point where it doesn't respond as well as it has in the past.

I just read his hand and his knee are fine now and he's back in light training. Don't think he'll ever be the same again though. I think he'll have a tuneup against somebody he can beat and then he's out of his HBO contract. In the meantime Floyd fights the Matthysse-Garcia winner. Then they fight each other at 155. Floyd gets to claim he won the middleweight world championship against the top 160 pounder and a pound for pound guy, Martinez gets a massive retirement payday.

Originally Posted by Kirkland Laing

I just read his hand and his knee are fine now and he's back in light training. Don't think he'll ever be the same again though. I think he'll have a tuneup against somebody he can beat and then he's out of his HBO contract. In the meantime Floyd fights the Matthysse-Garcia winner. Then they fight each other at 155. Floyd gets to claim he won the middleweight world championship against the top 160 pounder and a pound for pound guy, Martinez gets a massive retirement payday.

I actually hope this happens but Sergio batters Floyd. Sergio deserves the pay day he started late and worked hard fighting in other peoples countries.

I see Sergio's next fight being against Cotto in March/April.

Originally Posted by Kirkland Laing

I just read his hand and his knee are fine now and he's back in light training. Don't think he'll ever be the same again though. I think he'll have a tuneup against somebody he can beat and then he's out of his HBO contract. In the meantime Floyd fights the Matthysse-Garcia winner. Then they fight each other at 155. Floyd gets to claim he won the middleweight world championship against the top 160 pounder and a pound for pound guy, Martinez gets a massive retirement payday.

I thought Floyd didn't do catch weights? Oh wait. I doubt Floyd fight Martinez. Again, there is the HBO/Showtime thing. Martinez can't fight on Showtime and Floyd is signed to multiple fights there.

I think it's just age catching up with him. I think BHop kinda spoiled us and now we expect guys to be able to fight into their late 30s and early 40's with the same kind of efficiency they had in their late 20s and early 30s.

Historically, it's very hard to find guys with Martinez's speed style that were top fighters at 38. Look at how Muhammad Ali looked at 38 against Larry Holmes. Ray Leonard looked ancient at 35 against Terry Norris. At 38, Roy Jones was a joke, as was Pernell Whitaker (although obviously Sweetpea's life choices had something to do with that too).

All things considered, I think he's doing quite well for a 38 year old. He's still considered one of the top p4p guys in the sport. I think it's a shame he didn't break out and get the big fights until he was in his mid 30s.

Originally Posted by Rantcatrat

Originally Posted by Kirkland Laing

I just read his hand and his knee are fine now and he's back in light training. Don't think he'll ever be the same again though. I think he'll have a tuneup against somebody he can beat and then he's out of his HBO contract. In the meantime Floyd fights the Matthysse-Garcia winner. Then they fight each other at 155. Floyd gets to claim he won the middleweight world championship against the top 160 pounder and a pound for pound guy, Martinez gets a massive retirement payday.

I thought Floyd didn't do catch weights? Oh wait. I doubt Floyd fight Martinez. Again, there is the HBO/Showtime thing. Martinez can't fight on Showtime and Floyd is signed to multiple fights there.

He's doing a catchweight against Alvarez and it'll be his biggest-earning fight ever. After it's over he's looking at a diminishing list of dance partners and a serious lack of PPVable opponents. Matthysse might spark Garcia and be a half decent PPV opponent. Other than that it's the winner of Khan-Alexander which isn't exactly a PPV dynamite option for Floyd. Martinez is the top middleweight name, technically still on the pound for pound list and offers Floyd the chance to get a credible middleweight belt by fighting a guy who is really a 154 pounder. He's got one fight left on his HBO contract which he can do while Floyd fights Matthysse. Then it's probably the biggest fight Floyd can make.