After his flashy disposal of previously undefeated Sergiy Dzinziruk at Foxwoods Resort and Casino on Saturday night, Sergio Martinez made his intentions clear.
?I want Mayweather, I want Pacquiao. I want them in front of me,? Martinez told Max Kellerman.
In the dream scenario that either of these fights could take place, Mayweather-Martinez, is the less likely of the two. Mayweather has been inactive for almost a year since handing Shane Mosley a lopsided Unanimous Decision loss. Attempts by Manny Pacquiao to get Mayweather in the ring have been fruitless.
The fight would most likely have broken Pay-Per-View records and padded the pockets of the man known as ?Money?.
Mayweather has seemed more concerned about keeping his undefeated streak in tact, a tact that has left ?Money? on the table.
The thought of Mayweather going up to at least light middleweight is not impossible. Mayweather has fought at light-middleweight once, against Oscar De La Hoya, in a fight that broke all previous boxing Pay-Per-View records. In a split decision victory, Mayweather won the WBC middleweight title, a title he would later relinquish, opting for his WBC welterweight title.
Sergio Martinez is no Oscar De La Hoya. Mayweather knew where De La Hoya would be at all times, Martinez presents an awkward style and a different challenge.
For Mayweather the risk may outweigh the reward.
Pacquiao-Martinez is not as impossible.
Critics cite that Martinez is a lot bigger than Pacquiao, that it would be an unfair fight.
Why not just have Pacquiao face Wladimir Klitschko critics have pointed out? When will enough be enough for the pound-for-pound king?
At light middleweight, at a catchweight, Martinez-Pacquiao is a conceivable fight. Martinez after all, spent the majority of his career at light-middleweight.
Martinez has previously stated he would go as low as 154 lb. to fight Pacquiao. In order to get the fight Martinez would first have to concede, if possible, to dropping a few more pounds.
If Martinez cannot make this concession it may be time to stop talking and start looking for other options in other weight divisions.
The highest division Pacquiao has fought in is Light Middleweight at a catchweight of 150 lb.. Pacquiao weight in at 144 lb. due to his strategy of opting for speed over size.
If Martinez was willing to concede to a 150 lb. catchweight, there is no reason that this fight can?t be made.
At the catchweight, the argument that Martinez is too big is erroneous.
That Margarito spent most of his career as a welterweight is an invalid argument, the Margarito-Pacquiao fight was for the WBC light-middleweight title.
If Martinez, at a catchweight of 150 lb. is too big for Pacquiao, then Pacquiao?s light-middleweight title win is fairly vague and leaves room for valuable criticism.
Antonio Margarito, at this stage of the game, is no Sergio Martinez.
Margarito was perfect compliment for Pacquiao?s style.
Margarito is a slow, hard-hitting, forward moving fighter.
This is not to say Pacquiao would not fair well against Martinez, it is just to invalidate the size arguement if the fight was to take place at a catchweight.
It would not be about size at all, it would be about skill and style.
Martinez presents a style-conundrum for Pacquiao, and vice-versa. It is an amazing fight on paper and would be an amazing fight actuated.
For Top Rank head Bob Arum though, the fight is a calculated risk that has nothing to do with size.
It has to do with weight.
Does the risk outweigh the reward?
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