In his battle with Matthew Macklin on Saturday, lineal but belt-less middleweight champion Sergio Martinez did not remind anyone of Sugar Ray Robinson, Harry Greb or Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Instead, the Argentine produced a reasonable facsimile of a performance by Matthew Saad Muhammad, the legendary light-heavyweight warrior of the 1970s and ?80s who specialized in rousing, blood-spattered, come-from-behind thrillfests.
Like his British countryman, Darren Barker, did last year, Macklin was able to build an early lead in the contest by outworking Martinez. Unlike Barker, Macklin managed to score a knockdown of sorts, though it was only Sergio?s glove, not his backside, that touched the canvas in the seventh round.
That was Macklin?s last moment of glory, though. Martinez just kept on coming, though in a skillful way, with effective aggression rather than merely taking two punches to land one. In the eleventh round, Martinez lowered the boom, dropping his brave opponent twice. On both occasions, more than just the Briton?s gloves contacted the canvas. Macklin beat the count on both occasions, but his corner humanely asked that the fight be stopped after the bell ended the round.
So now, over his last two bouts, Martinez has struggled against opponents who were better than average, but still not in his league. At age 37, is ?Maravilla? beginning to slide over the hill?
Not necessarily. These days, 37 is not all that old for a boxer. Bernard Hopkins, for example, is still light-heavyweight champion at age 47. Hopkins has fought 61 bouts, but that total is spread over nearly 24 years. During boxing?s heyday, which lasted from the 1900s through the 1950s, it was not uncommon for fighters to step into the ring 100 or even more than 200 times in 10 years or less. Add the rigors of training and the grueling jobs many pugilists had to work in order to make ends meet, and it?s no wonder they tended to wear out by the time they reached their early thirties.
With 53 bouts under his belt, Martinez ought to have some good years left, and lucrative potential match-ups down the road. He remains recognized by The Ring magazine as the lineal 160-lb champion. How would he do against the current alphabet-belt holders? Here are some thoughts.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., WBC: The WBC used sleight-of-hand to unwrap its belt from Martinez? waist and put it around that of the son of a legend. Martinez would use sleight-of-fist to reclaim that belt if Chavez?s management is ever willing to risk putting these two in the ring together.
Felix Sturm, WBA: Sturm peaked when he was robbed of a decision in a bout with Oscar De La Hoya back in 2004. If Sturm fights Martinez, he?ll lose, and will have no grounds to claim larceny.
Daniel Geale, IBF: Considered a comer, and probably a cut or two above the likes of Macklin and Barker, Geale would be a hard nut for Martinez to crack. At this point, though, Martinez?s combination of experience and skill would most likely be sufficient to get the job done.
Dmitry Pirog, WBO: Although Pirog is undefeated, he?s had only 19 pro fights. A veteran like Martinez should easily school such a novice. However, if Martinez is slipping, Pirog just might be the young lion who could savage Sergio the way Dwight Muhammad Qawi destroyed Saad Muhammad way back when.
Meanwhile, Martinez? dreams of mega-bucks superfights with welterweights Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will probably remain unfulfilled. Pacquiao and Mayweather are more likely to fight each other than jump up two weight classes to take on the formidable Martinez.
One advantage Martinez has over Saad Muhammad is that Sergio doesn?t absorb brutal beatings like Saad did in the process of outlasting his foes ? until Qawi came along. But even though he?s a better boxer, Martinez is just as much fun to watch. Surely that should count for something among promoters and pay-per-view executives.
