IN MY last column, I was pulling for Sergio Gabriel Martinez to win in dominant fashion, and he pulled off an 11th-round stoppage of tough Brit Matthew Macklin.
What?s intriguing is the myriad but conflicting assessments of his performance. There are those who labeled it brilliant, while some thought he struggled.
Taking into consideration our innate biases, it?s still quite interesting how many people can be watching the same fight and yet perceive matters so differently.
STYLES. All things taken under consideration, I can?t help but think that most of the varied opinions have a lot to do with his fighting style.
You see, Martinez prefers to fight with his hands down low?a style deemed by some as careless, gossamer, and even disrespectful.
The obvious disadvantage of course, is that it makes a fighter a wide-open target. And yet, some of the best fighters in history have been known to adapt that style for majority of a fight, and probably the most popular example is Roy Jones Jr.
Jones Jr. liked to keep his hands low so he could bait opponents and counter them with his patented uppercuts or hooks. At his peak, Jones was unstoppable and dominant. His greatest accomplishment was probably becoming the WBA heavyweight champion, the second man in only a hundred years to win both middleweight and heavyweight crowns.
Even Floyd Mayweather Jr. keeps his left hand down low and tucks his chin, inviting opponents to throw punches, so he could counter them silly.
IMPROVEMENT. Circa 2000, when Martinez was a young, welterweight contender, he employed a more cautious style then when he met up with the vicious Antonio Margarito.
Martinez boxed and moved quite well, peppering the ?Tijuana Tornado? from different angles, but the feral Margarito eventually got to him, registering a 7th round TKO as he brutalized Martinez along he ropes.
I can?t credit that loss to inexperience as both of them were young warriors then and Martinez actually has a couple of years on Margarito, albeit the former started his career late. Maybe the latter was just better at that point in their careers.
But the great ones evolve and become better in their chosen crafts. For Martinez, he would not lose again till 9 years later and that was a disputed majority decision loss to Paul Williams.
And if you have been following Maravilla?s career, you will have noticed that he has increasingly employed that hands down fighting style the past few years and actually improved as a fighter.
Only the truly fast ones can get away with employing this style and Martinez is one of those speed merchants who rely on blinding hand speed as a huge part of their offense.
From this stance, he generates almost everything in his arsenal, from his counters, to his combinations to the torque in his punches.
The way I see it, it?s a confidence thing. Martinez (49-2, 28KOS) has become a better fighter through the years as his confidence has grown. And if he feels he fights better this way, then so be it.
I know a lot of old-timers who find this style annoying and boorish, but hey, you can?t argue with success.
BANAL FIGHTS THIS SATURDAY. Speaking of confidence, a local fighter who needs loads of this in order to regain his once lofty status is AJ Banal.
This likeable young man is several years removed from his devastating loss to Rafael Concepcion in 2008, but you get a sense that he still seems to be pandering to that loss.
ALA Promotions is doing its part by giving him more seasoning and experience, but right now he is ranked as high as no. 1 by the WBO and that title shot may come sooner than expected.
He will be fighting Mexican Raul Hidalgo (16-5, 12KOs) this Saturday at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel. Based on his record, Hidalgo has some decent pop in those gloves, and
I hope Banal wins this one impressively by knockout to shore up his confidence meter.
Who knows, this might be his last tune-up fight before the big one.
LAST ROUNDS. Are on my cousin Yvonne Tiu-Ong and her hubby Pabo. Cheers!
