One of my all-time faves from a personal standpoint, ultra-gent Sergio Martinez, who took up the sport at age 20 and was able to refine his technique to become a pound for pound top tenner, still has boxing in his blood, and will be testing out his body to see if his vessel matches that level of competitive fire which still courses through the 39-year-old Argentina native.

You’ll recall things didn’t go swimmingly for Maravilla (51-3-2) on June 7, when he put his WBC 160 pound belt up for grabs against Miguel Cotto, in a Super Fight which looked aces on paper, but turned into a nightmare session for Martinez, who got buzzed early and then couldn’t clear the cobwebs.

His mobility was compromised, as his oft-injured and rehabbed right knee barked defiantly at him,  and because of that, his defense suffered mightily. He was down three times in a Chuck Giampa TV debut of a first round and hit the deck in the ninth. After a corner discussion, the plug was pulled before the tenth started.

Team Martinez’ Nathan Lewkowicz told me that Martinez, promoted by New York dealmaker Lou DiBella, is going to see how his body, his sometimes balky knees especially, hold up when he gets back to a grind. “He goes back to the gym in March,” he said.

“Essentially he’ll see how he feels and if he can train at the same level like he used to,” said Lewkowicz, who also told me he is psyched that Team Lewkowicz just signed 9-0 Mexican future star Jairo Llanes. “Then a comeback fight if all goes well.”

Martinez turns 40 on Feb. 21; I’m of the mind that fighters are born a different breed. The desire for combat doesn’t leave them easily. So if our man wants to glove up again, and his body cooperates, then rock on…

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