That was no lucky punch, let’s make that clear right up front.
Sergio Martinez didn’t need to have his fingers crossed, or carry a four leaf clover in his cup, or hope real hard, that the overhand left, delivered after he adjusted his feet with dancing With the Stars-ish smoothness, would land on Paul Williams’ jaw and chin, and scramble his brains for the count. This was the deliberate act of a marksman, and no one should dismiss that neuron re-arranger as anything else than the work of the consummate professional. No matter that his head was down as the punch hit home, and his eyes were looking at a ring card girl in row one, or something…Martinez invested fully, like Goldman Sachs during the boom boom bubble years while housing “values” exploded, against all odds and common sense. He knew what he was doing, where Williams was, and what that left could do, and he did it. To diminish his kayo crack as “lucky” is doing a disservice to his preparation and skills.
With the punch, and the knockout win, Martinez goes from a top ten pound for pounder to a top five, or top three pound for pounder, depending on how much you think of the Brothers K. But will that status reward him in a fashion one might expect him to be rewarded, in a just and right world? Er..you live in the US, where the top 1% have made out like bandits in the last ten years, while the lower and middle classes fight over ancillary issues, and the trickle down crumbs. You saw what that natural disaster did in Haiti. This world ain’t just, or right, much of the time. But that doesn’t mean we can’t hope for the correct thing to happen, the right thing, for the good guys to get what’s coming, for the best matches to be made, for the voice of the fans to be heard, rather than the voice of the cash register.
This fan, and judging by some of your comments, you agree with me, thinks that it would be just, it would be right, if in his next fight, Manny Pacquiao, the marvelous mulitasker, battled Martinez.
I know, I know. Manny’s team has indicated again and again that he’ll drop down to a more natural weight channel. He battled a bigger man, Antonio Margarito, at a catchweight of 150 pounds or less. And he looked scintillating doing so. That weight channel looked to me like it fit Manny. Of course, I don’t try and portray myself as being without bias, as being a clean slate of objectivity. I root for good guys, classy guys, humble guys, I favor fighters with a certain fan-friendly style. Yes, I admit to having preferences. To me, Manny is the best in the business, and will likely stay that way until Floyd Mayweather decides that he wants to regain “his” P4P slot at No. 1.
Most of you seem to agree that Manny is No. 1 right now. And more and more of you are in agreement that he’s now in the mix as an all time pound for pound top tenner. Manny himself doesn’t try to shoot down the notion when someone, like 60 Minutes’ Bob Simon, wonders if he might be the best fighter of his and any other time.
So..if the No. 1 pound for pounder of today, who is in the conversation as we mull the alltime greats, can’t get on the same page as the second best pound for pound pugilist, doesn’t it make sense for him to tap the next best option? Doesn’t it make sense for him to tell his team, his trainer, his advisor, his promoter, that he wants to go for that ninth crown in that ninth weight class, and try to take down Sergio Martinez, the middleweight champion?
I’m tempted to get greedy, and inject a plug for Manny to toss the catchweight clause in the toilet, and demand of his people that he allow Martinez to weigh the division max..because I think so much of Pacquiao that I don’t think he needs to have his bets hedged for him.
I’m pretty darned sure he would’ve beaten Cotto if he allowed Cotto to weigh the welterweight max, not 145, and he would’ve handled Margarito with the same degree of difficulty if he allowed the Mexican to weight up to 154 pounds, and not a max of 150. But in the name of reasonableness, in a desire to encourage the match to be made, rather than to build blockades, the hell with it, let’s do it at a catch weight.
How does 155 pounds,* max, sound?
Now, there are some other contenders out there, guys who’d like to get the lucky scratchoff, get some of that Manny moolah. Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley have emerged as the top dogs in the hunt. Mosley came out of the gate hard, and in fact met with Bob Arum. He left the meeting saying he was 90% sure he’d get the gig. But public and press sentiment hasn’t been encouraging to those pressing to make Manny-Mosley. TSS has been out front with our lobbying effort. The Californian is 2-2-1 in his last five, and has looked close to shot at times in his last two outings, against Floyd Mayweather and Sergio Mora. Yes, he did give Antonio Margarito the business, but that fact doesn’t mean as much since we saw how Manny handled the Mexican, and besides, that was in January 2009. He hasn’t bowled over anyone since then, and the mileage, on a guy who started fighting at AGE EIGHT, might have finally caught up with him.
Marquez is a fine choice, and one we hear is supported by Freddie Roach. That makes sense, seeing as how he’s the last man to give Manny problems. Their March 2008 clash resulted in a split decision win for Manny, and the validity of that call is still debated, on a daily basis, on message boards. Indeed, the fan interest, even if the bout is contested at a weight that might well be out of Marquez’ comfort range, 140 pounds, will be fierce. At age 37, Marquez isn’t at his prime, but neither is he near as far away from it as Mosley is. We shall see what exactly he has left when he is pressured by the game and rugged Aussie Michael Katsidis on November 27. An upset for the 27-2 Aussie is unlikely but not unfathomable.
To me, Marquez is totally Plan 1B, a completely agreeable, logical choice for the Congressman. But 1A is Martinez. Not surprisingly, Martinez’ promoter Lou DiBella is of the same mind.
“We would fight Manny, at 155 pounds,” the promoter told TSS today. “It would be an honor to fight him.”
But the New York based dealmaker isn’t getting ahead of himself, letting his hopes outstrip his reasoning powers. “But I know it wouldn’t happen next,” he admitted. “But I think that would be a real super fight.”
Might Martinez just be too big for Pacman? His last three fights have been at 160, and he had to make 158 or less for this one. He hasn’t found it easy, but could torture himself to make 154, just a pound more than he his favored class from 2002-2008. Hey, wasn’t Margarito bigger than Manny, wasn’t he 17 pounds more than Pacman on fight night?
“Margarito was bigger, but he’s nowhere as good as Martinez,” DiBella said. One body shot hurt Pacquiao, he acknowledged, and he thinks Martinez’ skill level would result in more punishment for Pacquiao. Therefore, he understands if team Manny shies away from putting their guy at risk. “I understand their saying Martinez is too big,” DiBella said. “But I’d love to see Manny take up the challenge. If he took that, It’d be, ‘Oh my God.’
I don’t think we should expect a decision within the week. We should expect for Arum to at least see how DiBella fighter Andre Berto looks this weekend against Freddy Hernandez. “We’d love to be considered for that,” said Dibella, now awash in an embarassment of riches.
But Dibella has been bowled over by the interest, the reaction to the Sergio Stunner, that overhand left which put Williams on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Street. “Yes, Manny-Sergio would be immense,” he said. “The pay per view would be bigger than Manny-Margarito, not even close.
To me, Manny is an “Oh my God” kind of guy. He could do it. No catchweight needed.
Manny, TSS is like the 1,000th most popular website in the Philippines. Are you reading? It’s me, Editor Mike. I believe in you. I believe in your skills, and your will, and that you don’t need no stinkin’ PEDs to get it done.
I believe you should listen to Manny, shrug off the input from the team, be the decider in chief.
Throw down the challenge to the middleweight champion, and take up the challenge, and do what you do best. Slay another Goliath.
Contact Michael Woods @ TheSweetScience.com
Radam G – early in da mornin’ and I stuck in Manila traffic: Editor Mike, da Manny has hanged Rebecks — Big Money Oscar De la Hoya — and Blunderbore, “Tijuana Tornadao” Tony Margarito. He’s already eager to use the slingshot on Goliath — Sergio Martinez. That Goliath really put on his brotha from another motha — Long Tall Paul. “In The Land of the Giant,” THC PacMan rules. Look for him to be the Nine Wonder of the World in 2011. He’s gonna Kayo-slingshot Goliath Martinez in round seven. That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it. The bout may even be held as a Thrilla in Manila for da giant killa! Holla! Monday Nov 22, 2010 10:38:43 PM RG@EM: Don’t you think it is about time to change the “Quote of Note.” My kabayan #1 PacFan is about to set the record for longevity. Holla! Monday Nov 22, 2010 10:43:37 PM Radam G: *put it on his brotha… Monday Nov 22, 2010 10:45:35 PM @Radam: you make no sense, What the fudge is your point? Monday Nov 22, 2010 10:50:44 PM The Truth Hurts: Martinez isn’t anything special, he’s the flavor of the day. Martinez is gong to capitalize on the attention he’s getting right now, and rightfully so. Pacquiao does NOT belong in the ring with any middleweight. There is no sincerity in this article, the author just wants to see Pacquiao get beat, even if the guy to do it was 3 weightclasses above him naturally. There is no shame in Pacquiao not fighting Martinez. JMM on the other hand, must fight Pacquiao at 147, or else face another drained version of Pacquiao like the one he fought nearly 3 years ago. That’s the only way Marquez stands a chance against Pacquiao. If Marquez were the top draw, maybe he could demand a catchweight or have Pac come all the way down to 140, but too bad for JMM he’ll always be in Pac’s shadow. Monday Nov 22, 2010 10:57:55 PM @@Radam: One needs a brain that can comprehend literature. Where is the fudge is your peabrain? Monday Nov 22, 2010 11:02:36 PM EM: Thx for the reminder. Monday Nov 22, 2010 11:09:27 PM
