"These are the most dangerous fighters. He's a European champion and he's undefeated, but I did study him and I know his style of fighting. It's like Dzinziruk, nobody knew about him here in the States, but he's one of those fighters that comes to fight. He's well prepared and I feel that Darren Barker should be motivated because this is the most important fight of his life...I have experience and I'm going to show intelligence, patience and strength. You're going to see the best Sergio Martinez and I'm going to use all of my experience that I gained against Paul Williams and Kelly Pavlik. You're going to see it all on October 1st," stated middleweight king Sergio Martinez as he talked about his upcoming October 1st showdown with Darren Barker. Check it out!
PC: How has training been going so far for your October fight against Darren Barker?
SM: Everything is going great. I'm very motivated. This was my first week of training camp and I'm doing great.
PC: Is it tough for you to stay motivated when you're not getting the big name fights that you want right now?
SM: The fact that the big guys don't want to fight me motivates me even more. It gives me more drive to become a better fighter. In due time, it will happen.
PC: It appears that if you can dispose of Barker on October 1st, that will open the door for a Canelo Alvarez or Chavez Jr. type of fight. Do you have a preference of which guy?
SM: Right now, my motivation and focus is on Darren Barker. God willing, if everything goes well, I want to recuperate my title that they took away from me and right now, Chavez Jr. has my title and that's the guy I'm going after to recover my title.
PC: How much do you know about Darren Barker?
SM: These are the most dangerous fighters. He's a European champion and he's undefeated, but I did study him and I know his style of fighting. It's like Dzinziruk, nobody knew about him here in the States, but he's one of those fighters that comes to fight. He's well prepared and I feel that Darren Barker should be motivated because this is the most important fight of his life.
PC: Everyone saw you display power against Williams and you showed a little bit of everything against Dzinziruk. What are you looking to showcase in your fight against Barker?
SM: Right now, you're seeing the best Sergio Martinez. I have experience and I'm going to show intelligence, patience and strength. You're going to see the best Sergio Martinez and I'm going to use all of my experience that I gained against Paul Williams and Kelly Pavlik. You're going to see it all on October 1st. That's what you're going to see.
PC: During a press conference or conference call, you stated that you would be willing to take all drug tests to face Floyd Mayweather. I know the focus is Barker right now, but what is your take on Olympic style testing?
SM: Yeah, you know, I don't see what the big deal is. First of all, I would be willing to take the tests or do whatever is necessary to fight Floyd Mayweather, if that's the case. Secondly, I don't see what the big deal is. I think it keeps the sport clean and keeps the sport without any doubt for any fighter if someone is saying, "Hey, this guy looks a little stronger then he should be." That will eliminate that and prove that the best man will win.
PC: I look forward to the fight and hopefully we can get a camp update as the fight gets closer. Is there anything you want to say in closing?
SM: First of all, I want to thank you Percy for taking the time out to do this interview. On October 1st, you're going to see the best Sergio Martinez. I am going to train very hard to demonstrate who is the best fighter pound-for-pound in the world. To all of my fans, tune in on October 1st on HBO, if you can't be there live in Atlantic City. I promise, you will see the best Sergio Martinez.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]