Martinez Reiterates Promise To KO Chavez Jr.

Martinez insists he's not taking this fight personally, but those around him say he's preparing like never before. (Chris Farina-Top Rank)

Sergio Martinez on a conference call Wednesday to hype the Sept. 15 clash with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Las Vegas between middleweight standouts reiterated his desire to knock out the son of the legend, and said he didn't intend to leave it to the judges to decide the contest.

Martinez said he has worked very hard for the last two months and that on Sept. 15, the belt, now around Junior's waist, will be with its rightful holder.

The vet was asked if he was taking this PPV fight personally, as it seems. He said that it is not personal, that he wants that belt from Junior.

Martinez said that Junior will get knocked out, even if he is prepared as well as he can be. Does the kid have any notable deficiencies? He just knows he is better than the son of the legend. He said that the kid doesn't deserve to be a champ, that he got the opp because his father is who he is. “His mouth is bigger than his brain, he's talking too much,” the boxer said, thru translator Sampson Lewkowicz.

Lewkowicz said he's never seen Martinez so focused.

Martinez promoter Lou DiBella said the fighters have been raised differently. Junior was raised with a silver spoon in mouth, and had a title shot handed to him, while Martinez grew up in a nasty ghetto, shoeless, fighting early on for peanuts, he said. It's the “rich kid” versus the “guy who's had to work his ass off,” DiBella said.

Martinez said he has the speed and power to KO Junior, and that he will “not wait on the judges.”

Is he not worried, with his hands down fighting style, that Junior will tag him? No, Martinez said, he has fought this way all his career, he will not stop now. DiBella said that still makes him nervous.

DiBella said that we are seeing a run of the best fighting the best because the public has demanded it and people are working together. This occurs when all are playing on an even playing field, he said.

DiBella, before press queries started, said that tickets were nearing sellout. He said that trainer Pablo Sarmiento and advisor Lewkowicz were on the call. Sarmiento said that Martinez has been working hard and will be victorious. Lewkowicz said that contrary to some popular belief, working with Bob Arum of Top Rank hasn't been a chore. DiBella called Sergio the best middleweight in the world and no worse than the third-best boxers in the world.

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