One of the world?s premier boxing promoters talks discusses plans for Sergio Martinez, Andre Berto, the ?next Manny Pacquiao?, Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, the Klitschko movie, Martinez vs. Mayweather and much more?
BoxingInsider: Please share an update on Sergio Martinez and Andre Berto, is anything in the works?
Lou DiBella: ?Andre Berto ? we?re looking to fight Jan Zaveck for the IBF championship. Randall Bailey is going to wait out and take an interim fight for what could be a much bigger fight for him (Berto-Bailey), he?s the mandatory. Sergio is ? Mr. Chavez is saying he?ll fight Sergio, so let?s see.?
BoxingInsider: Andre Ward ? do you think he has pound-for-pound #1 potential?
Lou DiBella: ?No, not really. But I think he?s top 5 potential absolutely.?
BoxingInsider: Why not #1?
Lou DiBella: ?Because pound-for-pound insinuates a significant move in weight classes. And I don?t think you can be pound-for-pound staying at one weight class. I think Ward?s a true 168-pounder. You know what? I shouldn?t say no so quickly. He?s a tremendous talent. Let?s see where he goes in the future. But right now he belongs in the top 10 pound-for-pound list, in my view, because he?s a great, great talent. But pound-for-pound ? usually it?s multiple weight classes you succeed in.?
BoxingInsider: As an insider (close business relations with Al Haymon, HBO), do you have any sense when Pacquiao-Mayweather will happen?
Lou DiBella: ?Yeah. Never.?
BoxingInsider: Why?
Lou DiBella: ?It just doesn?t appear to me that it?s moving in that direction. I hope the fight happens but it doesn?t appear to me that it?s moving in that direction. And I really believe in ? I take Mayweather at his word ? if Pacquiao doesn?t accede to true Olympic-style testing the fight won?t happen.?
BoxingInsider: Which boxer can become the next global sensation phenomenon like Manny Pacquiao is now, in the next five years? Look into the crystal ball. Who has that potential?
Lou DiBella: ?I don?t know. I think Sergio Martinez does if you recognize the fact that Bernard Hopkins is still doing it a decade later (he?s 46), and Martinez is 36. A lot of the world is Spanish speaking, the kid is phenomenally good-looking and speaks Spanish and is in the process of learning English. I think he has the ability. Capturing a worldwide audience ? I think there are a lot of things about Manny that are, as we say in Latin, are sui generous. A guy that moved up from 108 pounds to 154, who?s probably certainly the greatest Asian fighter who?s ever lived. A guy that was on the cover of TIME Magazine in Asia, who is a Congressman in his own country who could easily be President someday. I don?t think we have a Manny Pacquiao in the wings. And I honestly believe that. I think we have some good young fighters ? but if Canelo Alvarez didn?t have red hair and wasn?t unusual looking, I don?t think he?s be the sensation that he is, even though he is talented. Chavez Jr. is not his father. There?s some excellent young fighters but in order to become a Manny Pacquiao or what Oscar De La Hoya was, or what Mike Tyson was, you have to transcend the sport. There?s nobody right now. But there will be one again. Things are cyclical. But I can?t identify the person right now.?
?And here?s the huge problem: As goes the Heavyweight division, so goes boxing. And we don?t have a legitimate heavyweight contender right now who has a real shot at winning a world title. And that?s no offense to some of the good, young fighters we have who are heavyweights. But we don?t have a world class, world championship heavyweight contender. The heavyweight division is dominated by Eastern Europeans that are, frankly, are fungible and not particularly moving to the American public. Until the heavyweight division rises again, I think boxing is going to have challenges. We have to be more creative and have to make the best fights we can make. We have to forget about names because, frankly, the public doesn?t know the names. And we gotta make f***** brawls.?
BoxingInsider: Did you see the ?Klitschko? documentary film (which was previewed at Tribeca Film Festival)?
Lou DiBella: ?Yeah, I thought it was very good. Very, very good. I hope more people see it. I think it would be helpful to the sport if more people saw it.?
BoxingInsider: Could HBO buy it and show it?
Lou DiBella: ?I don?t know who?s going to buy it. But I hope so. It was well done.?
BoxingInsider: Can Adamek rise to the occasion and beat Vitali?
Lou DiBella: ?No. I don?t think there?s any chance. Tomasz Adamek, as great a fighter as I think he is, I think he?s a super-cruiserweight. I think he?s too small ? as proven by the difficulty he had against second-tier opponents. And Vitali is a giant. I think it could be good for the sport, he could be a giant slayer. Though I like Vitali, I think he?s a good guy, I just don?t see it. I think Vitali is a physical specimen, he?s a giant. Adamek is a very small heavyweight. I think Vitali wins fairly easily. The same way I pick Wladimir fairly easily over Haye, though I give Haye a little bit more of a shot because of his punching power.?
BoxingInsider: Mayweather vs. Martinez ? how does it play out?
Lou DiBella: ?Great fight. I mean, that?s a great, great fight. I think Sergio is one of the few guys who can stand with him there on speed and can out-power him. I think Mayweather?s defense is completely unmatchable. I think the question is gonna be can Sergio hit him in the ass. I believe probably so. I believe it?s a tremendous fight. But even speaking to Sergio, the most difficult fight in the world would be Floyd Mayweather Jr., who I think we believe at Team Martinez is the best fighter in the world.?
BoxingInsider: Has there been any discussions whatsoever (with Haymon) about making this fight possible?
Lou DiBella: ?Not right now. I think right now Floyd is dealing with his own issues and there won?t be any discussion or anything before those issues are dealt with.?
BoxingInsider: Would Sergio win?
Lou DiBella: ?I think Sergio would win. But picking against Floyd Mayweather ? I think Sergio would win but I?m not guaranteeing it [laughs].?
