Move over Pac and Floyd: It’s Maravilla Time

[holmcall]

He caught me with a punch I did not see.

--Paul Williams

I couldn't see his left hand. I wasn't hurting - he just hit me with a high volume of punches.

--Kelly Pavlik

At a time when most of us are just plain sick of all the ad nauseam talk surrounding the PEDS issue and the attendant testing controversy, a fighter from Argentina has come front and center and seems just the right antidote to get over our collective illness over Manny and Floyd exchanging excuses rather than exchanging punches.

Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez (47-2-2) is just what the doctor ordered. He fights like a prime Roy Jones, possesses incredible athleticism, is supremely confident, has incredible stamina likely from being a former cyclist and soccer player, seems to be at his prime even at age 36, has crunching power, and is super exciting to watch. He can take an opponent out with either hand and by going upstairs and downstairs. Some may well argue that “Maravilla” is the new Pound-4-Pound King in boxing. While I am not yet quite ready to say that, I do think the question is subject to reasonable debate. However, I am more than ready to have Martinez replace the inactive and troubled Floyd Mayweather Junior.

While Mayweather and Pacquiao do their own versions of cherry picking (one with opponents the other with time intervals between fights), Martinez fights young and dangerous boxers still in their prime. His opponents since early 2009 include Serhiy Dzinziruk (37-0 coming in), Paul Williams (39-1 coming in ), Kelly Pavlik (36-1 at the time), Paul Williams (then 37-1), and Kermit Cintron (30-2 coming in). The MD loss against Williams was controversial to say the least. In fact, his only definitive loss was against Antonio Margarito (then 20-3) in 2000 but that was then and this is now. Tony has seen his best days while Sergio is now seeing his own.

In his tenth fight, “Maravilla fought an opponent with 30 bouts. Thereafter, most of his opponents were similarly experienced. In fact, he beat Ariel Chaves (38-4) in 1999, a year in which he had 10 fights. After being stooped in 7 to a young Margarito in 2000 in his first fight overseas, Martinez regrouped and won 28 straight before “drawing” with Cintron in one of the most controversial decisions in recen boxinghistory. In fact, Sergio arguably knocked out the ever-so-dramatic Kermit, but the referee missed it in plain sight. Along the way, Martinez retired tough Adrian Stone (33-4-2) in Bristol, UK in 2003, waxed Saul Roman (27-2) in an WBC Light Middleweight Title Eliminator in 2007in Texas, and then claimed the interim WBC Light Middleweight title in October 2008, beating Alex Bunema in California via an eighth round stoppage.

And yes, he dos remind me of Roy Jones Jr.

[holmcall]

test

[:::PSL:::]

Make him climb up 40 pounds, challenge any 3-time world champion, and then give up another 17 pounds weight advantage to his opponent at fight night. If Martinez beats the living shit out of that guy, then maybe Pac or Floyd will move over for him.

[ElTerribleMorales]

Make him climb up 40 pounds, challenge any 3-time world champion, and then give up another 17 pounds weight advantage to his opponent at fight night. If Martinez beats the living shit out of that guy, then maybe Pac or Floyd will move over for him.

ummm yea, Roy Jones Jr already did it

[TitoFan]

He's already above Floyd, in MY book. Floyd's inactivity and cherry-picking are just plain sickening, and IMO he's just resting on past laurels and letting his "legions" of fans (slowly working themselves down to a few dozen) do the talking for him. What am I saying... Floyd also carries his own torch. No, Floyd's not even # 2 right now. That position goes to someone like Martinez, who is busy fighting to deserve the spot.

[Gandalf]

Martinez is the most impressive fighter in the world right now and is clearly the most handsome too. He should be a megastar. There is no cherry picking from this guy and he beats up whoever you put in front of him. With Floyd you have massive inactivity and cherry picking such as beating up on LW's. With Pac you have in house manipulation and fighting men who are pushing 40. With Martinez what you have is the real deal, no questions asked.

He has done a Calzaghe in that it is a late career bloom, but unlikel Calzaghe, this man can actually bust people up.

[MMASUX]

I have Martinez #2 in my book, behind pac. Floyd doesn't fight enough to be #2 in my opinion. Martinez very well could be #1 pretty soon here, if pac keeps picking shot fighters to face.

[miron_lang]

martinez is the most impressive fighter in the world right now and is clearly the most handsome too. He should be a megastar. There is no cherry picking from this guy and he beats up whoever you put in front of him. With floyd you have massive inactivity and cherry picking such as beating up on lw's. With pac you have in house manipulation and fighting men who are pushing 40. With martinez what you have is the real deal, no questions asked.

He has done a calzaghe in that it is a late career bloom, but unlikel calzaghe, this man can actually bust people up.

lol

[generalbulldog]

The mythical p4p no. 1 is usually based on resume, longevity against top level opposition, and p4p wise who would win if size was taken out. Martinez current resume is impressive, but it still pales to Floyd and Pac's current and overall resume. Not to mentioned if they were all the same size, I still favor Pac and Floyd over Martinez. To be p4p no.1 it takes some serious consistency, longevity, and fighting top level opposition year in and year out. But hey this p4p stuff is all subjective anyway.

[holmcall]

He's already above Floyd, in MY book. Floyd's inactivity and cherry-picking are just plain sickening, and IMO he's just resting on past laurels and letting his "legions" of fans (slowly working themselves down to a few dozen) do the talking for him. What am I saying... Floyd also carries his own torch. No, Floyd's not even # 2 right now. That position goes to someone like Martinez, who is busy fighting to deserve the spot.

Two thumbs up!

[holmcall]

I have Martinez #2 in my book, behind pac. Floyd doesn't fight enough to be #2 in my opinion. Martinez very well could be #1 pretty soon here, if pac keeps picking shot fighters to face.

Well put!

[holmcall]

The mythical p4p no. 1 is usually based on resume, longevity against top level opposition, and p4p wise who would win if size was taken out. Martinez current resume is impressive, but it still pales to Floyd and Pac's current and overall resume. Not to mentioned if they were all the same size, I still favor Pac and Floyd over Martinez. To be p4p no.1 it takes some serious consistency, longevity, and fighting top level opposition year in and year out. But hey this p4p stuff is all subjective anyway.

Frankly, I don't like P4P stuff.

[Julius Rain]

Make him climb up 40 pounds, challenge any 3-time world champion, and then give up another 17 pounds weight advantage to his opponent at fight night. If Martinez beats the living shit out of that guy, then maybe Pac or Floyd will move over for him.

ummm yea, Roy Jones Jr already did it

against who?

[generalbulldog]

The mythical p4p no. 1 is usually based on resume, longevity against top level opposition, and p4p wise who would win if size was taken out. Martinez current resume is impressive, but it still pales to Floyd and Pac's current and overall resume. Not to mentioned if they were all the same size, I still favor Pac and Floyd over Martinez. To be p4p no.1 it takes some serious consistency, longevity, and fighting top level opposition year in and year out. But hey this p4p stuff is all subjective anyway.

Frankly, I don't like P4P stuff.

The irony of this thread.

[ruthless rocco]

i think martinez was running out of gas and was at times just able to hold dzinzurik off. had dzinzurik been able to mount a little offence in the final round i think the fight could have ended with martinez gettin ko'd. he didn't seem to have that great stamina people are always talking about. he looked desperate to end the fight... not in control of it.

there's no question that he's hot right now. i like him alot....but i think he's very beatable.