Sergio Martinez, 47, Now Ranked at Middleweight Again, Calls out Gennady Golovkin
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Buenos Aires, Argentina (December 25th, 2022)– Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all by the tree. With that, at the ripe young age of 47, Sergio Gabriel ‘La Maravilla’ Martinez, currently ranked worldwide contender number three, the former World Middleweight champion in the midst of a five-bout winning streak on the middleweight comeback trail, after six years of retirement due to knee injuries, has some new words of wisdom, and he will not let it be.
The southpaw Martinez, 56-3-1 with 31 knockouts, Madrid, Spain, Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and he wants Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin, 42-2-1 with 37 knockouts, Los Angeles, California, by way of Kazakhstan, age 40, the current IBF, IBO and WBA Super World Middleweight titleholder.
Two major factors are at stake in the ‘Maravilla’ Martinez callout challenge to Golovkin.
The first factor is, at age 47, Martinez may now feel GGG, at age 40, represents his best world title challenge opportunity, as opposed to fighting, say for example, Ryota Murata, Jaime Munguia, Felix Cash, the inactive Jermall Charlo, Demetrius’ Boo Boo’ Andrade (who fights Demond Nicholson on January 7, 2023), or the winner of Liam Smith versus Chris Eubank Jr. Martinez will turn 48 years old on February 21, 2023, and as the line goes by Michael Corleone in ‘The Godfather’, Martinez is echoing the theme “We can’t wait” any longer. If he is going to fight for a world title, knee issues involving ring movement or not, Martinez has to go for broke now.
The second and more difficult factor is, apparently, nobody is banging down the door to fight GGG for his world titles, even at age 40. Maravilla Martinez versus GGG is marketable on its own, or as part of another major boxing card in the United Kingdom or Europe. The Martinez payday may not be a mega payday, but if he gets another win or two, likely GGG is the best shot on the horizon.
GGG is now promoted by Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing, paving the way for GGG versus Martinez to be made in 2023 in the UK. According to a new Martinez interview with Izquerdazo in Spain, “It is complete madness, I know, but I have all the faith in me that I can give an extraordinary fight against Golovkin, and I need to (perform at the highest level) because If I don’t, I will die, or he will kill me. With (GGG) Golovkin, there is a good match of styles. I think we could give a great fight. I need to perform at an extraordinary level to win it. I have all the faith in me, and I know it’s crazy. Because if I don’t, Golovkin will kill me and destroy me! If I can pick who to challenge, I would say Gennady Golovkin. Someone can tell me that Golovkin is going to kill me. Yes, I know he can kill me. Or not. I also know that I can give him a boxing lesson. I’m getting better every day. I’m not getting as good as I was, I’m getting much better. I aim (my ultimate goal is) to fight Gennady Golovkin. Maybe my manager will aim instead for a bout with Erislandy Lara. I know that a fight with Lara might be super boring. Lara gets on his bike and dances around you, moving and moving, so it would be an ugly fight. With Golovkin I think it (me versus GGG) would be a nice fight to see, even if he can break me into pieces or not.”
In terms of stamina, Martinez commented “When two champions face each other, or a champion with a mandatory challenger, there is little difference between them. What will make a difference is the brain, not the age. It won’t even be physical fitness, because we all have great conditioning at the required level for a world champion. Both Golovkin, Lara and me, if we fight each other, we will be at a very high level from a physical standpoint. But (the key difference) is the mind game, who has better tactics and strategy, and who is better rested the final week before the bout.”
However, Martinez, despite his world-class reputation, does not feel he has returned to the world-class level of boxing competition, nor does he infer he will. He is not making his knee injuries an excuse, either. “I’m still not at the level of Golovkin or Lara now. The level of opposition I have had (in my comeback) is inferior, and sometimes very inferior. But I needed (the work and to get rounds in) contact with the ring, with the ropes, and the referee. I needed friction. I needed an opponent attacking me, punching me, aiming to really hurt me. That is what I needed (as part of the progression of my comeback). I know that I’m progressing, and evolving (in terms of regaining my fighting ability) by leaps and bounds.”
Martinez understands he must maintain readiness by virtue of his world rating, and the possibility he could be a late last-minute opponent in a world title bout. “I understand being world-ranked at third in the middleweight division by the WBA, a world title fight opportunity might come at any moment. I can tell you from July 2023 onwards, I will get a world title fight, March 2024 at the latest. By then I will be 49 years old. Oh well. Bernard Hopkins fought until 51, and he won his last fight at 50.” Reader’s note: Bernard Hopkins was 49 years old in April 2014 when he won his final bout, a world light heavyweight title defense against Beibut Shumanov, by a 12-round split decision. Hopkins fought his final bout at 52.
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