Sergio Martinez?s sensational second-round knockout of Paul Williams meant much more to the Argentinean southpaw than just avenging his majority decision loss to Williams 11 months earlier.
The late-blooming boxer solidified his spot near the top of pound-for-pound lists with that emphatic win Nov. 20 in Atlantic City. Mentioning Martinez in the same sentence with Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. became obligatory, not optional.
After consecutive fights with Williams, former middleweight champ Kelly Pavlik, and Williams again, fussier fighters than Martinez might?ve demanded something less daunting than his assignment Saturday night. Pacquiao and Mayweather are too small for boxing?s best middleweight to fight, and there weren?t many willing or worthy 160-pound opponents HBO Sports wanted on its network.
Executives are having Martinez fight Sergiy Dzinziruk, an unbeaten southpaw who represents much more risk than reward.
Ukraine?s Dzinziruk is 37-0, including 23 knockouts, yet remains mostly unknown to American fight fans entering their 12-round middleweight match at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Conn.
“I never want an easy fight,” Martinez said.
“I want to fight the best. Mayweather cannot fight me. Manny Pacquiao cannot fight me. So I need to fight somebody very challenging and the best opponent is Sergiy Dzinziruk. Nobody else is left.”
Dzinziruk?s HBO debut mirrors Martinez?s first fight on the network two years ago.
Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs) was a week shy of his 34th birthday when he fought to a controversial majority draw with Kermit Cintron in February 2009. Dzinziruk is 35 and, like Martinez, a foreign, left-handed southpaw who?s much more dangerous than famous.
“The fact that this fight is happening is a tribute to the type of champion Sergio Martinez is,” said Lou DiBella, Martinez?s promoter.
“In a lot of ways this is a no-win fight. [Dzinziruk] is the best fighter in the world that no one knows.
“He is a very difficult guy to fight because of his defensive style, because of his great jab, his movement, and he?s a very well-skilled guy. He?s really unknown in this country, but this is the fight HBO wanted. They wanted Sergio in a difficult matchup and it?s typically Sergio Martinez?s way. Sergio said, ?Put him in front of me and I?m going to fight him,? and he is.”
Dzinziruk has made six defenses of the WBO junior middleweight title he won in December 2005. He?ll move up six pounds to meet Martinez at 160, but Dzinziruk is 2 inches taller than Martinez and every bit as skilled.
“Boxing is all about the best fighting the best,” said Wayne?s Gary Shaw, whose Totowa-based promotional company represents Dzinziruk.
“No one wants to see easy fights. When great fighters fight great fighters, that?s when boxing is at its best.
“Everyone in Europe knows about Sergiy Dzinziruk, and after [Saturday], everyone [in America] will know about him as well.”
The Martinez-Dzinziruk fight will headline HBO?s “World Championship Boxing” doubleheader that begins at 10:30 p.m. with another middleweight match: Ireland?s Andy Lee (24-1, 18 KOs) against Scotland?s Craig McEwan (19-0, 10 KOs).
E-mail: [email protected]
