Widely regarded as the world?s No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer after Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez returns to action Saturday against England?s Darren Barker in Atlantic City (10 p.m. ET, HBO). SI.com caught up with the 36-year-old Argentine southpaw, who finds himself at an improbable career peak at an age when most fighters are thinking about retirement.
Age started fighting?
20.
What?s your first boxing memory?
Watching Duran vs. Leonard on TV. I was so impressed and excited.
Who?s your favorite all-time fighter?
Muhammad Ali.
What?s the greatest fight you ever saw?
Tyson vs. Holyfield and Leonard vs. Hagler.
Who was the toughest opponent you ever fought?
Kelly Pavlik.
What was your favorite subject in school?
Math.
What?s on your iPod?
System of a Down, Calle 13 and a mixture of Argentine music.
What is your favorite movie?
Midnight Express with Robert De Niro and The Usual Suspects with Kevin Spacey.
What would you be doing if you weren?t fighting?
A comedian or acting.
Favorite meal when out of training?
Asado, a kind of Argentine steak.
What would you change in boxing?
I would change the rankings and how the process works. I would make them more realistic.
