Sergio Martinez should be secured a spot as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and Miguel Cotto his redemption fight with Antonio Margarito. Then, maybe, if the two get their way fight fans can see a collision course with Cotto and Martinez
This much is certain after the results of Saturday night. Fight fans got a treat either way, and despite a conflict of two championships contested on the same night there are some interesting situations that will warrant attention. And it does surround Martinez and Cotto.
Martinez successfully defended his WBC ?emeritus? middleweight title with a eighth round TKO over the previous undefeated WBO Junior Middleweight champion Sergiy Dzinziruk at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut. It was a commanding win and the message was sent. Martinez is the legitimate middleweight champion and deserves to fight the best.
?Mayweather, Cotto,? I want the best were the comments from Martinez at his post fight press conference. And on the other side of the country, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Cotto paid minimal attention to Margarito who crashed the party. All along, as people in the Cotto camp have been saying, his next target was to get a redemption fight with Margarito if indeed he prevailed against Ricardo Mayorga.
Bob Arum still has a commodity with Cotto, and Lou DiBella has possibly the best pound-for-pound fighter with Martinez. And with the proposed Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight still in the balance, both DiBella and Arum have to look ahead. But first, DiBella has to convince Arum that his fighter and Cotto are on the agenda.
?That?s not up to me, it?s up to Arum,? said DiBella. ?Maybe Cotto is man enough to ask Bob Arum to make the fight,? he said. In the meantime, a source at Top Rank on Monday, when asked to comment on DiBella?s remarks, said ?We are looking at Cotto and Margarito for a date in July either in New Jersey or Vegas.? No surprise there as everything went to plan for another Cotto-Margarito fight.
Cotto has always put that devastating loss to Margarito in the past. At least that was what he has stated, but those close to him also comment that the redemption fight meant more than the welterweight championship he retained Saturday evening with a 12th round stoppage over Margarito.
But the stage has been set for the inevitable reunion. Mayorga was gone and forgotten, and Margarito, also an Arum promoted fighter entered the room. As enticing as an immediate Cotto-Martinez fight is, so is Cotto and Margarito exchanging punches again.
Boxing fans are thrilled with return bouts that have theatre and interest and this one offers redemption for Cotto, and then maybe one more big fight with Martinez remains. ?I came to enjoy the fight, but if the opportunity comes up to fight Cotto that?s what I?m here for,? commented Margarito making noise about a challenge.
The end came at 1:43 of the eighth round for Martinez when referee Arthur Mercante Jr. put a stop to the contest. Martinez put Dzinzirul down a third time in the round, one of five knockdowns he had in the fight, proving more that the middleweight can punch with authority.
There was no more talk about a lucky first round punch that Martinez threw which knocked out Paul Williams in November. Being the best is an obsession for Martinez, so is the desire to get Cotto in the ring. ?I want the best rivalries in front of me.? said Martinez.
But the rivalry now that seems to be more realistic is Cotto facing Margarito. And for Martinez, maybe the inevitable comes sooner. A fight against Pacquiao to determine once and for all who is indeed the best pound-for-pound fighter unless Shane Mosley spoils that plan in Vegas on May 7th.
e-mail Rich Mancuso: [email protected]
