Why Martinez Must Beat Cotto

Published

10 years ago

June 5, 2014

—-Photo credit : Ed Mulholland- Top Rank

He’s the WBC middleweight title holder. He’s conclusively defeated the likes of Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in title bouts. Of his two career defeats, only one of them was a legitimate loss. And that occurred 14 years ago when he was stopped by Antonio Margarito in his first fight on American soil. His name is Sergio Martinez 51-2-2 (28) and he defends his WBC middleweight title this weekend against former three division title holder Miguel Cotto 38-4 (31).

Cotto is 1-2 in his last three bouts and his two losses were suffered in junior middleweight title bouts against Austin Trout and Floyd Mayweather. If you go back five years, Miguel is 4-3 in his last seven fights. And by no means are those facts mentioned with the intent of disparaging Cotto. He is one of the most popular and respected fighters today in professional boxing for all the right reasons. He’s fought every top fighter around his weight and never ducked anyone since he turned pro back in early 2001. In addition to that he’s provided the boxing public with action packed and fan friendly bouts every time out. He’s never gloated after a win and never made excuses after a loss.

However, no one is talking about one small thing that just maybe be a driving force behind Sergio Martinez on June 7th, and that’s a little thing called disrespect. Granted, it may only be in his mind, but when that bell rings this Saturday night he’s the only person that feeling disrespected matters to. Of course everyone has noticed that this highly anticipated bout has been billed and promoted as Cotto vs. Martinez.

Yes, Martinez is the champ and is playing second fiddle to a fighter who has never fought as a middleweight before and has lost consecutive junior middleweight title bouts within the past two years. On top of that he was at the mercy of a coin flip regarding his place in the pre-fight ring festivities. This is something not many title holders have been subjected to. Cotto smartly took advantage of his bigger and brighter star power and you and me would’ve done the same thing if we held the leverage over Martinez that he did. The only blow back from that is it can become a motivating factor for the fighter who feels he’s been dissed throughout the promotion. Call it a hunch but I doubt Martinez has ever been this motivated for a fight in his career.

Cotto has participated in and won plenty of big fights during his professional career, versus Zab Judah, Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito. He’s also been the B side of the promotion in huge PPV bouts versus Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather. In his losing effort against Pacquiao he showed tremendous heart and toughness. He was very competitive against Mayweather and pushed Floyd hard over the 12-rounds they fought despite losing a unanimous decision. Yes, everybody loves and respects Miguel Cotto.

Martinez, on the other hand, has never participated in a mega fight before. Sergio has never had so much attention on him like this prior to a bout. Sure, fighting Paul Williams twice (1-1) along with Pavlik and Chavez were seen on HBO, but they don’t come close to rivaling the attention and notoriety he’ll get after fighting Cotto, win or lose. If Martinez beats Cotto, especially if it’s without controversy, his name will be mentioned as a future opponent for Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Floyd Mayweather. All three fights would be for more money than he’s made his entire career. And yes, if Mayweather sees Martinez as a viable opponent if he beats Cotto, all he has to do is say “Give me Martinez” and you better believe Showtime and HBO will not stand in the way. If Floyd wants to challenge for the middleweight title, and we know that he does, the cable networks will find a way to come together. They did for Lewis-Tyson and they’ll do it for Mayweather-Martinez, provided that’s the fight Floyd wants. If you don’t know by now that it all depends on Floyd, you haven’t been paying close attention.

In all honesty, Martinez has to beat Cotto. Sergio has had a stellar career. But in reality he hasn’t faced a murderers row fighting as a middleweight. And that’s not his fault. The same can be said for Gennady Golovkin. Both Martinez and Golovkin are trapped in a division that right now is very pedestrian. Other than facing each other or maybe Chavez, there’s nobody for them to fight that would stimulate public interest. In order for them to partake in a mega fight they have to go outside of their division. And that’s another reason why it’s a must win fight for Martinez.

Sergio hasn’t reaped the rewards or the mega millions that can accompany a career like the one he’s carved out. Also, there are some observers, myself included, who really aren’t sure how terrific he is. He’s a tremendous athlete, but I think his style bothers most of his opponents more than anything else. His southpaw stance and ability to move and throw unorthodox and awkward punches is the thing that most befuddles his opponents. That aside, you can’t argue with his record. But if he loses to Cotto, that will probably end his career as far as being in the running for the few multimillion dollar mega fights that are out there for him right now even at age 39.

Martinez hasn’t fought in over a year because of injuries. There’s no question about it that his body is breaking down. Health is a huge issue regarding his future as a championship worthy fighter. That said, he should be healthy and strong for Miguel Cotto on June 7th. This is the signature fight of Martinez’s career and he has to win it. There’s no way he can lose to the guy who was stopped by Manny Pacquiao and lost one sided decisions to Floyd Mayweather and Austin Trout if he hopes to define his legacy and fight for millions of dollars again in his next bout.

Professional boxing is a cruel and lonely world for a fighter and it’s is usually not fair. And that’s even more the reason why Martinez must beat Cotto. He can’t go down and be remembered as the fighter who won a few middleweight title fights but lost his belt to a fighter who used to be the junior welterweight title holder, who lost his title to the fighter who used to be the featherweight champ.

Martinez is very mentally tough and I think he’s got tons of pride. Cotto’s career can withstand losing to Martinez, but the same cannot be said about Martinez if he loses to Cotto. Beating Miguel Cotto is an absolute must for Sergio Martinez.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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Frank Lotierzo

WBA Feather Champ Nick Ball Chops Down Rugged Ronny Rios in Liverpool

Published

2 days ago

October 5, 2024

Arne K. Lang

WBA-Feather-Champ-Nick-Ball-Chops-Down-Rugged-Ronny-Rios-in-Liverpool

In his first fight in his native Liverpool since February of 2020, Nick Ball successfully defended his WBA title with a 10^th-round stoppage of SoCal veteran Ronny Rios. The five-foot-two “Wrecking Ball” was making the first defense of a world featherweight strap he won in his second stab at it, taking the belt from Raymond Ford on a split decision after previously fighting Rey Vargas to a draw in a match that many thought Ball had won.

This fight looked like it was going to be over early. Ball strafed Rios with an assortment of punches in the first two rounds, and likely came within a punch or two of ending the match in the third when he put Rios on the canvas with a short left hook and then tore after him relentlessly. But Rios, a glutton for punishment, weathered the storm and actually had some good moments in round four and five.

The brother of welterweight contender Alexis Rocha and a two-time world title challenger at 122 pounds, Rios returned to the ring in April on a ProBox card in Florida and this was his second start after being out of the ring for 28 months. He would be on the canvas twice more before the bout was halted. The punch that knocked him off his pins in round seven wasn’t a clean shot, but he would be in dire straits three rounds later when he was hammered onto the ring apron with a barrage of punches. He managed to maneuver his way back into the ring, but his corner sensibly threw in the towel when it seemed as if referee Bob Williams would let the match continue.

The official time was 2:06 of round ten. Ball improved to 21-0-1 (12 KOs). Rios, 34, declined to 34-5.

Semi-wind-up

A bout contested for a multiplicity of regional 140-pound titles produced a mild upset when Jack Rafferty wore down and eventually stopped Henry Turner whose corner pulled him out after the ninth frame.

Both fighters were undefeated coming in. Turner, now 13-1, was the better boxer and had the best of the early rounds. However, he used up a lot of energy moving side-to-side as he fought off his back foot, and Rafferty, who improved to 24-0 (15 KOs), never wavered as he continued to press forward.

The tide turned dramatically in round eight. One could see Turner’s legs getting loggy and the confidence draining from his face. The ninth round was all Rafferty. Turner was a cooked goose when Rafferty collapsed him with four unanswered body punches, but he made it to the final bell before his corner wisely pulled him out. Through the completed rounds, two of the judges had it even and the third had the vanquished Turner up by 4 points.

Other Bouts of Note

In a lightweight affair, Jadier Herrera, a highly-touted 22-year-old Cuban who had been campaigning in Dubai, advanced to 16-0 (14 KOs) with a third-round stoppage of Oliver Flores (31-6-2) a Nicaraguan southpaw making his UK debut. After two even rounds, Herrera put Flores on the deck with a left to the solar plexus. Flores spit out his mouthpiece as he lay there in obvious distress and referee Steve Gray waived the fight off as he was attempting to rise. The end came 30 seconds into round three.

In a bantamweight contest slated for 10, Liverpool’s Andrew Cain (13-1, 12 KOs) dismissed Colombia’s Lazaro Casseres at the 1:48 mark of the second round.

A stablemate and sparring partner of Nick Ball, Cain knocked Casseres to the canvas in the second round with a short uppercut and forced the stoppage later in the round when he knocked the Colombian into the ropes with a double left hook. Casseres. 27, brought an 11-1 record but had defeated only two opponents with winning records.

In a contest between super welterweights, Walter Fury pitched a 4-round shutout over Dale Arrowsmith. This was the second pro fight for the 27-year-old Fury who had his famous cousin Tyson Fury rooting him on from ringside. Stylistically, Walter resembles Tyson, but his defense is hardly as tight; he was clipped a few times.

Arrowsmith is a weekend warrior and a professional loser, a species indigenous to the British Isles. This was his twenty-fourth fight this year and his 186^th pro fight overall! His record is “illuminated” by nine wins and 10 draws.

A Queensberry Promotion, the Ball vs Rios card aired in the UK on TNT Sports and in the US on ESPN+.

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Alimkhanuly TKOs Mikhailovich and Motu TKOs O’Connell in Sydney

Published

3 days ago

October 4, 2024

Arne K. Lang

Alimkhanuly-TKOs-Mikhailovich-and-Motu-TKOs-O'Connell-in-Sydney

IBF/WBO world middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, generally regarded as the best of the current crop of middleweights, retained his IBF title today in Sydney, Australia, with a ninth-round stoppage of game but overmatched Andrei Mikhailovich. The end came at the 2:45 mark of round nine.

Favored in the 8/1 range although he was in a hostile environment, Alimkhanuly (16-0, 11 KOs) beat Mikhailovich to a pulp in the second round and knocked him down with one second remaining in the frame, but Mikhailovich survived the onslaught and had several good moments in the ensuing rounds as he pressed the action. However, Alimkhanuly’s punches were cleaner and one could sense that it was only a matter of time before the referee would rescue Mikhailovich from further punishment. When a short left deposited Mikhailovich on the seat of his pants on the lower strand of rope, the ref had seen enough.

Alimkhanuly, a 2016 Olympian for Kazakhstan, was making his first start since October of last year. He and Mikhailovich were slated to fight in Las Vegas in July, but the bout fell apart after the weigh-in when the Kazakh fainted from dehydration.

Owing to a technicality, Alimkhanuly’s WBO belt wasn’t at stake today. Although he has expressed an interest in unifying the title –Eislandy Lara (WBA) and Carlos Adames (WBC) are the other middleweight belt-holders — Alimkhanuly is big for the weight class and it’s a fair assumption that this was his final fight at 160.

The brave Mikhailovich, who was born in Russia but grew up in New Zealand after he and his twin brother were adopted, suffered his first pro loss, declining to 21-1.

Semi-wind-up

Topping the flimsy undercard was a scheduled 8-rounder between Mikhailovich’s stablemate Mea Motu, a 34-year-old Maori, and veteran Australian campaigner Shannon O’Connell, 41. The ladies share eight children between them (Motu, trained by her mother in her amateur days, has five).

A clash of heads in the opening round left O’Connell with a bad gash on her forehead. She had a big lump developing over her right eye when her corner threw in the towel at the 1:06 mark of round four.

Motu (20-0, 8 KOs) was set to challenge IBF/WBO world featherweight champion Ellie Scotney later this month in Manchester, England, underneath Catterall-Prograis, but that match was postponed when Scotney suffered an injury in training. Motu took this fight, which was contested at the catchweight of 125 pounds, to stay busy. O’Connell, 29-8-1, previously had a cup of coffee as a WBA world champion (haven’t we all).

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 299: Golden Boy in Saudi Arabia and More

Published

4 days ago

October 3, 2024

David A. Avila

Avila Perspective, Chap. 299: Golden Boy in Saudi Arabia and More

A small brigade of Mexican and Latino-American fighters gathered at the beautiful Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Their mission: to export Mexican style fighting to the Saudi Arabia desert.

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez defends the WBA cruiserweight title against WBO cruiserweight titlist Chris Billam-Smith and they will be joined by several other top Golden Boy Promotion fighters on Nov. 16 at the Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

DAZN will stream the Golden Boy and BOXXER promotions card called “The Venue Riyadh Season.”

Mexican fighters are known worldwide for their ferocity and durability. Ramirez, a former super middleweight champion, surprised many with his convincing win over former champion Arsen Goulamirian last March.

Now Ramirez seeks to unify the cruiserweight titles against United Kingdom’s Smith who has never fought outside of his native country.

“I will become the first Mexican cruiserweight unified champion. It’s exciting because my dream will come true this November 16,” said Ramirez.

Smith has a similar goal.

“This opportunity for me is huge,” said Smith. “I’ve been written off many times before.”

The cruiserweights will be joined by two top super lightweight warriors who’ve been itching to face each other like a pair of fighting roosters.

Arnold Barboza, an undefeated super lightweight contender from Los Angeles, has been chasing top contenders and world champions for the past six years. Former super lightweight champion Jose Ramirez simply wants action and a return to elite status.

“I’ve been wanting this fight since 2019 for whatever reason it never happened,” said Barboza. “I want to give credit and thanks to Oscar, he’s a man of his word. When I signed to Golden Boy, he said he was going to give me this fight.”

“It’s honorable Barboza saying he’s been chasing the fight since 2019. Now that he stands in the way for me to reclaim my titles it’s time to get that fight on,” said Ramirez.

Others on the Riyadh fight card include Puerto Rico’s WBO minimumweight world titlist Oscar Collazo defending against Thailand’s Thammanoon Niyomtrong, along with Oscar Duarte and lightweight contenders William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer.

One fighter missing from the card is Charles Conwell, the super welterweight contender they recently signed earlier in the year. He last performed on the Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Serhii Bohachuk clash in Las Vegas.

Conwell has similar talent to those two.

And what about the women fighters”

Yokasta Valle recently re-signed with Golden Boy Promotions. What is her next scheduled fight? She was spotted facing up against Australia’s Lulu “Bang, Bang” Hawton at a fight card. Is that on the horizon?

West Coast venues

Speaking of the Mayan Theater in downtown Los Angeles, its just a few buildings north of the Belasco Theater where Golden Boy was staging its club shows for several years.

A majority of the boxing media favored that location for its cozy atmosphere and proximity to LA Live. A number of prospects that developed into contenders and world champions fought there including Vergil Ortiz Jr., Ryan Garcia, Joshua Franco, and Oscar Duarte.

On any given fight night celebrities like Mario Lopez, George Lopez and others would show up in the small venue that held several hundred fans in its ornate theater setting.

The Mayan Theater and Belasco Theater are still open for business. According to one source, LA Laker owner Jeannie Buss stages a pro wrestling show at one of those theaters.

World title fight

England’s Nick Ball (20-0-1, 11 KOs) defends the WBA featherweight world title against Southern California’s Ronny Rios (34-4, 17 KOs) on Saturday Oct. 5, at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England. Starting time for the Queensberry and Top Rank promotion card is 11 a.m. PT.

Ball was last seen nearly toppling WBC featherweight titlist Rey Vargas but lost last March. He then defeated Ray Ford for the WBA title

Fights to Watch

Fri. ESPN+ 2 a.m. PT Janibek Alimkhanuly (15-0) vs Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0)

Sat. ESPN+ 11 a.m. PT Nick Ball (20-0-1) vs Ronny Rios (34-4)

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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