Pirog Wins, Targets Martinez Next

World Boxing Organization middleweight world champion Dmitry Pirog, 19-0 with 15 knockouts, of Gelendzhik, Russia, gave an impressive performance and scored an 11^th round TKO against WBO No. 1 ranked mandatory challenger Gennady Martirosyan, 22-3 with 11 knockouts, of St. Petersburg, Russia. The fight headlined at the Palace of Sports “Olympus” in Krasnodar, Russia, on September 25, and was televised in Russia on Channel 2.

It was Dmitry’s second successful defense of the title, and the first world title fight ever between two Russians.

Martirosyan gave a determined effort, but Dmitry dominated the entire fight and steadily wore him down. Dmitry finished the fight strongly – Martirosyan was battered and bloody when Dmitry buckled his knees in the 10^th round, and Martirosyan’s corner stopped the fight after the round.

Dmitry will be at ringside for the Sergio Martinez–Darren Barker fight on October 1 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. In addition to scouting Martinez as a future opponent, he will be available to the media for interviews and photos.

Promoter Art Pelullo said, “The best fight and the biggest fight in the middleweight division right now is Dmitry fighting Sergio Martinez. Dmitry has wanted the fight, and I’ve been trying to make the fight for a year now. Martinez’ advisor said that Dmitry didn’t have a ‘big enough name’ to fight Martinez, but that’s just an excuse to avoid him.

“Martinez was unknown when he came to the U.S., and he got a shot at the world title after a draw and a loss. Dmitry’s already got the WBO world title, is undefeated, and has some sensational wins to his credit, including his one-punch knockout against Danny Jacobs on HBO. It’s time for Martinez to fight Dmitry, as they are the two best middleweights in the world.”