I personally think this is a step down for Team Martinez but yet it is understandable...no one wants to fight him outside of Pirog who hasn't done anything as far as opposition and earning his name in the states. Martinez can't fight Chavez, Cotto, and Alvarez who are all champs in the division as their promoters look to protect their star fighters as they are deemed not ready. I always thought Martinez should move up in weight to super middleweight but he's an unusually small middleweight who's inbetween super middleweight and jr middleweight itself. Martinez needs to take a name opponent like Abraham or maybe down the line Kirkland if he wants to boost his name. The man's abilities deserve more recognition as he is considered a top P4P champion in today's era. With many promoters swindling the alphabet belts to their own fighters boxing is looking more and more like business acumen instead of glorified efforts.

Martinez TKO 11th.

Martinez should see if he could get a fight with Sturm. Think that would at least be better than fighting Macklin and would be one step closer to unifying the belts.

Im not all that familiar with Macklin, but if I remember correctly, was he the guy that pissed and moaned about getting robbed in the Sturm fight? Or did he get robbed? I agree, Martinez better competition, but there's not too much he can do about it. He may get a Sturm fight after this, but who knows?

martinez shouldnt fight sturm, if he does in germany, and he doesnt KO him he's lost that fight.

It won't happen, Sturm is ageing and is now looking to fight sub par opponents after that Macklin fight. Sturm isn't the same fighter he use to be, he's been holding on that belt before the Macklin fight for a long time fighting weak opposition but still get paid so you think he won't keep doing that? Only way Dibella can get that fight is offer money and go to the sanctioning bodies for a unification purse bid to make that fight but thats a long process waiting to happen. The middleweight champs are mostly with promoters who won't risk putting them up against the other champs or great competitiors. Chavez jr., Cotto, and Alvarez is some of the champs in that division that is making it uneventful. Guys like Molina, Martinez, eventually Kirkland, and more are very deserving of title shots soon or should be the ones with their belts. I mean seriously..look at all the fights that could happen...

Daniel Geale vs Andy Lee

Geale vs Martinez

Geale vs Pirog

Geale vs Peter Quillin

Geale vs Golovkin

Geale vs Ishida

Pirog vs Golovkin

Andy Lee vs Golovkin

Andy Lee vs Martinez

Andy Lee vs Pirog

Kirkland vs Pirog

Kirkland vs Golovkin

Kirkland vs Martinez

Martinez vs Golovkin

Lara vs Kirkland

Lara vs Andy Lee

Lara vs Martinez

Peter Quillin vs Lara

Quillin vs Martinez

etc.

the match ups is endless but thanks to Windbag Arum and Bottom Rank and OscarDela Fish Filet and turning a wonderful Robert Schaefers Promotions back to Fishnets Boy Promotions by protecting Alvarez, Chavez Jr, and Cotto who are all champs in those divisions doesn't help at all.

guess we can pull Him out of the Mayweather running... smh... that doesnt leave Money much room for competition outside of Pac... smh...

Im sure Sturm will take the fight with Sergio, if the money right. Money is what makes these guys fight on, even if they feel/know that they're past their primes. For the record, let's not expect Cotto to move up to middleweight, that aint happenin'.

Sure it does. Look to free agency. LOL.

i never heard of macklin. i don't believe i've ever seen him fight either...

i would be satisfied with sturm, pirog or any move to unify 160. if not, a move up to 168 to face andre ward would be major!!!

Ward and Martinez have strongly considered fighting each other, and ward does not have that much of a size advantage over Martinez. But I really doubt it will happen

Macklin got robbed against sturm so he is kind of fighting a guy who beat sturm so I don't have a problem with this fight. But I still don't really see the hype in sturm so I don't really see it as a step up in competition, pirog has done absolutely nothing except mirror Tim Bradley. Had he fought Lara I would gain some respect for him

I know Martinez would love a big pay day but I don't think he minds making north of a million dollars to keep busting up the people who will fight him on hbo. Because to me he does not look to be slowing down at all, he's a very fresh 37. But trying to go up and down in weight for a pay day at that age still doesn't sound like a good idea

Pirog just has terrible management, period. If this wasn't the case, then we definitely would've seen more than him sending Jacobs to the moon

Yeah man, good post.

This is another one of those Martinez fights that Im ready to see fly by Dude is gonna look like an ass if he doesn't get a big fight sooner or later. Not that its his fault, but being in shape and knocking down mandatories on HBO, is getting old...shame on his management (somewhat), but more shame on the motherfuckers who dont want to take a chance with matching their fighters with him.

Its gotta suck to be considered the best, and great fighters are passing you by because those guys and their teams are afraid to take a risk. The sad part is, it appears that the guys that are trying to skip around him, are foolishly waiting it out and secretly trying to land "the big fights", but thats something that Martinez deserves more than any of them

Almost forgot this one was this weekend...I see Martinez in some hard rounds, but actually winning this one by close decision. For some reason, I feel like he's overlooking Macklin

I got that same feeling.. I see a less than spectacular stoppage or a close decision for sergio.

According to the front page, Sergio has been looking "not so good" in his sparring sessions, but Im not sure how much weight that holds. If Macklin's defense is anything close to Barker's, and he's consistent with his offense (which could throw Sergio off), then we may see a good fight.

I see that nobody voted for Martinez by KO/TKO. Interesting...

Macklin could give Martinez trouble - could be a controversial decision for Martinez

am confident martinez will KO macklin, there about the same height, and size, if macklin is advancing to martinez to pressure him well martinez will simply pick his shots and get him out of there in a tko 9 affair, but if martinez is overlooking macklin he will look bad, and can probably lose on points since macklins very aggressive and its st paddys day so irelands more or less behind him in this. but if martinez starts dropping his hands and taking rounds off it can easily look really bad no matter how much hes tearing the guy apart

Sergio by 11th round stoppage.

Please add your scores especially if the fights go the distance and i will add them to my blog which is in the signature below

cheers