La Maravilla Martinez Will Shine on HBO Against Cotto. Floyd or GGG Next for Sergio?
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
New York, NY (June 7, 2014)–Lou DiBella Promotions, Sergio Gabriel Martinez Maravillabox, Miguel Cotto Promotions and Home Box Office present tonight a seven bout televised card on June 7, 2014, at Madison Square Garden. Sergio ‘La Maravilla’ Martinez will shine at Madison Square Garden on June 7, 2014 in the main event. At 51-2-2 with 28 knockouts, the Argentinian southpaw has been inactive for a year, but at 39 years old, like the ageless Bernard Hopkins, Martinez just gets better with time like fine wine.Cotto still represents big trouble, and could make for a possible upset if Martinez does not do the work.
Miguel Cotto, the former world champion of three divisions and wanna be of late, 38-4, 31 knockouts, Providence, Rhode Island, made short work of Delvin Rodriguez in 6 minutes and 18 seconds in October 2013, verifying his status of a super fighter, if not a super champion. However Cottostill falls short of the super championship mark at 160 pounds. He lost two recent super fights, both 12 round decisions in title fights, against Austin Trout and Floyd Mayweather Jr. He will lose his third fight in four opportunities against Martinez, but the underlying reasons are not related to his natural talent.
Sergio Martinez is in his prime at middleweight. Cotto is a light middleweight, but he is NOT a middleweight. Cotto loses too much power at the catchweight of 159 pounds, entering the ring even heavier. Both fighters will enter the ring heavier. The extra weight will neutralize what power Cotto has left, and slow him down.
Looking at Martinez, ‘La Maravilla’ has been knocked down by Matthew Macklin, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Martin Murray in his last three World Boxing Council Middleweight world title defenses. This is because at times Martinez was briefly outboxed. However, more noteworthy in all three of these knockdown fights, Martinez had the bout won on the cards entering the twelfth and final round, and still had plenty of stamina and heart left in the tank.
Martinez remains extremely dangerous because he has Gabriel Sarmiento in his corner.
Sarmiento has the unique ability to decode the styles of Martinez’ opponents and finds ways to counter them, cut off the ring and break them down. Cotto is too proficient to be stopped. At middleweight, Martinez can outwork him and outpoint him with a significant stay busy jab work rate. Sarmiento will follow this path, and will hope Martinez can break down Cotto in the later rounds, round eight or later, and try to get a stoppage in 11 rounds.
If Cotto gets cocky, and engages Martinez in center ring in a toe-to-toe power punch war of epic proportions, the bout will turn thrilling and exciting. Someone will likely take the count and / or a good beating. Over the course of 12 rounds, Martinez can knock out Cotto or stop him anytime from the ninth round on. If Cotto falls behind on the cards, he is likely to take his chances with Martinez.
Martinez is faster than Cotto, and a harder puncher. At the middleweight limit, Cotto has to wage the technical fight of the century to keep up with Martinez. Anything short of that, and Martinez will win every round on the scorecards. The only hole in the Martinez arsenal could occur is his skills have slowed down. In which case, Cotto has an outside chance of outpointing him. Both hearts will be tested in this interesting 12 rounder.
Once Martinez gets past Cotto, a fight with Gennady Golovkin could become a reality if Golovkin gets by Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Equally as interesting for Lou DiBella is if Floyd MayweatherJr. will fight Martinez at some sort of catch weight between 155 and 159 pounds. A bout between Martinez and Floyd appears about even on paper, but it largely depends on weights and styles in what could be the bout of the century later this year. After Floyd dispatches European darling Amir Khan, the current mandatory opponent, a bout with Martinez would yield a magnificent classic war, and perhaps boxing’s richest payday ever. Floyd would have to do better than he did with Marcos Maidana to have a chance with Martinez, and Floyd appears to have slowed down in work rate at age 37.
Also scheduled to appear on the card will be Jorge Melendez, fighting Javier Francisco Maciel for the vacant WBC USNBC Light Middleweight title. Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. is favored over Marvin Sonsona in a ten round NABF vacant featherweight title bout. Andy Lee is favored over John Jackson in a 10 round vacant NABF light middleweight title bout. Super featherweight Jose Pedraza faces Arturo Uruzquieta, lightweight Felix Verdujo faces Engelberto Valenzuela, and supreflyweight Jantony Ortiz debuts against Elio David Ruiz.
For more Information, contact DiBella Entertainment at 212-947-2577. For advanced ticket purchase, please go to Ticketmaster at http://www.ticketmaster.com/World-Championship-Boxing-Miguel-Cotto-tickets/artist/1974356
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