Is it time for Sergio Martinez to abandon his pursuit of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and face Erislandy Lara instead? Has the final hurdle been cleared to finalize Jean Pascal vs. Tavoris Cloud? Will Adrien Broner have to fight off the people who want to fight him with a stick? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week's edition of "From Pillar to Post!"
Time to Bang the Drum for Lara/Martinez
Since Jermain Taylor's return to the ring last December, I've been telling everyone within earshot that Lou DiBella was hoping to guide Taylor against Martinez in Atlantic City to make himself some money, but after seeing Taylor decked by Caleb Truax last Friday, I don't think that's a good idea. DiBella urged Taylor to step away from the sport after he'd been brutally KO'd time and time again, so I don't think DiBella would go through with putting him in the ring with Martinez, who would punch Taylor to a fine paste.
We all know how bad Martinez wants to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., but Martinez brings nothing to the table in a Chavez fight, and I'm sure those figures will reflect should they ever begin negotiating. I don't know how much money Martinez is hoping to make against Chavez. If it's a seven figure payday he wants, he's sure as hell is not going to get that. Also, the planned return of Antonio Margarito on May 26 in Arizona may confirm my initial suspicions that Top Rank is angling towards Margarito/Chavez in September instead.
I believe that Erislandy Lara, who blasted Ronald Hearns out in one round on Taylor's undercard, would be beyond suitable for Martinez, and it's a fight that can be done. Lara/Martinez would certainly be a fight HBO would be interested in, especially when they let Martinez fight an assortment of European ho-hums, like Darren Barker and Matthew Macklin, and I think that would be a damn good fight. Martinez would get a decent payday and Lara would get a title shot many believe he deserves. I say make the fight and sit back for fireworks.
Jean Pascal vs. Tavoris Cloud Almost Done for August?
Terms have been agreed to between rival Light Heavyweights Jean Pascal and Tavoris Cloud. All they are waiting for is Showtime to approve the target date of August 7. Cloud and Pascal have been dancing around each other for nearly a year now and are coming off disappointing performances in their last go round, with Pascal losing to the immortal Bernard Hopkins and Cloud channeling that Don King magic to rob Gabriel Campillo blind as a bat. When I spoke to Pascal when the fight was first brought up, Pascal said that he wasn't interested in signing a contract that would bind him to King outside of a rematch, so those terms must have settled.
Pascal/Cloud is a tremendous clash that represents one of the best fights to be made, yet I am skeptical about what we might get. Cloud's limited skills and Pascal's limited stamina may produce four, maybe five rounds of sustained action if Pascal gasses out and Cloud exhausts his arsenal, which will then lead to a jab-and-grab fest. I'm looking forward to it either way and hoping for the fight to be finalized soon.
Salido, Lundy Line Up for the Broner Train
Adrien Broner is ready to burst out to become a legitimate superstar, and the line of opponents who want to fight him are getting bigger. Last week, featherweight champion Orlando Salido said he'd like the opportunity to fight Broner, and Lightweight contender Hank Lundy traded some choice words with Broner via Twitter this week as well. Broner's next appearance will be against Gary Sykes on the undercard of the Lamont Peterson/Amir Khan rematch. His next fight following that will be against stalemate Vicente Escobedo.
Personally, I'd love to see Broner vs. Salido, but Salido's Top Rank ties make that fight next to impossible to happen, and the fight wouldn't look much different than Salido's fight with Yuriorkis Gamboa, a fight he handily lost. Lundy would serve as a good welcome mat for Broner moving up to 135, but not much else to be honest. That shaky chin of his wouldn't last too long. The good news is that Broner isn't one to keep quiet about people who want to fight him, so I'd expect plenty of intriguing trash-talk and chatter to come from his online sparring sessions.
Danny Howard can be reached for comments or questions at dhoward@fighthype.com, Facebook, or follow him on Twitter (@DBHOWARD126). Also don't miss an episode of FightHype Radio, the baddest two hours of boxing on the planet, starting at 8pm EST.