Martinez-Ishida in the works???

[Rantcatrat]

Jaz, makes sense. I was being cynical. But, I agree, it was probably due to his name.

The fight hasn't been signed yet so let's wait to heep criticism on him. I just read that Ishida is promoted by Canelo and Canelo has a ton of pull on HBO. If Sergio wants a stay busy fight so be it, as long as the next fight is against someone real. I think the card proposed was Pirog v. Manfredo and Martinez v. Ishida, which would lead into a Winter 2011 Pirog v. Martinez if both won. That makes sense because it gives Martinez a breather, he stays active, and then he takes a unification fight.

Pirog's KO of Jacobs was nasty. No one will argue with you about that. However, he lost his new-found momentum by taking too long off between fights and then after the long lay-off, staying in Russia and fighting some unheralded Argentine. To make matters worse, from what I understand, his performance was flat.

Sergio Martinez's problem of the lack of available opponents was exacerbated this weekend after Kirkland and Lemieux bit the dust. Now who does he fight? He even has less options than previously if you can believe it. Literally, the only truly competitive fights out there for him are Pirog or Sturm given that Cotto isn't fighting him. There really isn't anyone else. I want to see him face Sturm more than Pirog. But, I understand that Sturm won't ever leave Germany.

Yeah, I was being overly harsh just because the same people who tear Manny & Floyd up for terrible comp (when they probably have the 2 best resumes in the sport) say it's cool for Martinez to have a breather (which I think it is, he's fought a load of hard fights). I've no problem with the criticism, but you either have one rule for all the top fighters in the world or none at all.

I still think Ishida is an awful fight though, he's really . I totally get what you're saying though, it was a terrible weekend for Sergio. I don't think Kirkland would be anywhere near ready for him, but Lemieux despite being one-dimensional as I said beforehand was the kind of draw & has the power to make it interesting. I'd still have said he doesn't make it beyond the 4th, but his one-punch power (particularly against those low hands) gave him more of a shot.

Ishida is an awful fight. It isn't even remotely competitive. Hell, Peter Manfredo or Andy Lee arguably would be better. I would only give him a pass if it was on the same card as Pirog v. Manfredo, and Martinez's next fight was Pirog.