By James Slater – It’s still a little too soon to celebrate, but there seems to be an excellent chance that middleweights Sergio Martinez, the former WBC light-middleweight titlist and the reigning 160-pound world champion, and Paul Williams, who has captured belts at 147 and 154, will meet again in November. Back in December of last year, the two southpaws met in a non-title bout, and the result was a thrilling, fight of the year candidate.
Both men hit the floor in the majority decision that was ultimately won by Williams, and the bout was deemed close enough for argument when it came to who really deserved the victory.. The fight was also great enough to warrant a rematch, and with all the recent disappointment fight fans have suffered (Kessler pulling out of Super-Six, Pacquiao-Mayweather not being made, and a Klitschko-Haye fight also failing to materialise in 2010), it is to be hoped the talked-of November 20th date goes ahead.
Fightnews.com reports how “it looks like” the two middleweights will fight again on Nov. 20th, with New York, Atlantic City and California in the frame as venues for the fight, and Boxrec.com have the fight up as happening. So, it does seem as though fans have a great end-of-year battle to look forward to. But who will win?
Martinez, who really has shone in the last year, went on from the tough loss to Williams to capture the world’s middleweight title by hammering out a 12-round decision over Kelly Pavlik the following April – Pavlik being the fighter Williams was, on two occasions, meant to face. Williams, the younger man by six years at age 29, won a disappointing four-round Technical Decision over Kermit Cintron (who, controversially, held Martinez to a draw last year) in his next fight after facing the Argentine, in the well documented fight that saw “The Killer” fly clean through the ropes and be unable to continue as a result. Williams will not want a technical victory in his next fight.
But Martinez, 45-2-2(24), despite being at a relatively advanced age of 35, really does look like the toughest man “The Punisher” has ever met. Taking everything the much taller man had to offer back in December of 2009, Martinez also seemed to hurt Williams, 39-1(27) more than Williams hurt him. Both guys had marks of battle at the end of the thrilling 12-rounds, however, and the war may well have taken a lot out of both men. Martinez looked great against Pavlik, though, and he is currently brimming with confidence.
Stopped just once in his 13-year pro career – by another fellow opponent he shares with Williams, Antonio Margarito, who stopped Martinez in the 7th back in 2000, and who lost on points to Williams in 2008 – Martinez has some chin. The man known as “Maravilla” also has great stamina and a fine work-rate. But Williams too, throws non-stop punches for the full 12-rounds. Seemingly as evenly matched as can be, these two southpaws can surely give us nothing but another epic in November.
Mark the date down on you calendar, and hope, keep your fingers crossed, that nothing goes wrong with the signing of this one. Ring magazine, via the publication’s website, was recently lamenting the fact that 2010 has not yet given us a clear fight of the year candidate. This could well change on Nov.20th. If this must-see rematch goes ahead like it should!