Quick - ask an average sports fan who the third best player in the NBA is.
After giving it some thought, he will select amongst a handful of superstars. Brand names like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James will each spark a lengthy debate.
Now ask that same friend who the third best boxer in the world is. He will pause for a second before asking when Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will finally fight each other. The discussion begins and ends with them.
If Mayweather and Pacquiao are boxing's Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, Sergio Martinez is, well, that guy on the cover of EA Sports NHL 2012. Yea, he is good, but nobody knows who the hell he is.
And it is one of boxing's greatest shames.
If you compiled a list of ideal traits that a top-level fighter would possess in order to captivate sports fans, the list would include (in no particular order): power, excitement, offensive skills, and matchmaking against top-ranked (not just Top Rank) opposition.
For a sport which thrives off star power - and a sport currently in dire need of stars - Martinez should be a godsend.
And yet, here he is, an occupier of each of these traits - and the lineal middleweight champion of the world to boot - one night away from fighting Darren Barker in a barren Atlantic City ballroom in a World Championship Boxing main event with zero buzz.
How does this happen?
Martinez is a byproduct of HBO's disproportionate licensing fee era. He receives a substantial enough paycheck from HBO to maintain a light schedule, fighting in empty casino ballrooms twice a year without any semblance of a fan base. His fights receive zero promotion from the network - HBO only cares about their PPV fights - and the cycle repeats itself.
No matter how loudly Max Kellerman yells at you about the historical importance of the lineal middleweight championship, it is impossible to force fans to cheer for an athlete whom they feel no emotional attachment.
Martinez was my Fighter of the Year in 2010 after dominant victories over Kelly Pavlik and Paul Williams, two HBO love children whom Martinez brutally altered the script of their careers. He looked even better against undefeated Sergiy Dzinziruk this past April.
However, without a big name rival, Martinez is stuck in a stagnant state: boxing fans admire his talent and laud him as a worthy challenger for Mayweather and Pacquiao; average sports fans would not recognize him walking down the street.
Martinez needs his fists to create a buzz. Another memorable knockout on Saturday night would go a long way in helping.
By the way; that player on the cover of NHL 2012? His name is Steven Stamkos. And if fans gave him a shot, they would realize he is pretty good.