By Jason Bey: I’m beginning to notice something more and more every day. Can you hear it too? It’s a deafening silence. I can hear the crickets chirping though. That’s the sound we are left with in the aftermath of 2010’s Knockout of the Year. Sergio Martinez has managed to find himself between a rock and a hard place simply because he has left such an unsavory image in all of his would be opponents mind’s.
Paul Williams is well known for having an iron chin. We have seen the man take shots from some of the best welterweights on up to the middleweight division. Even in Sergio Martinez vs. Paul Williams 1. I remember being literally afraid for “The Punnisher”. I had turned the volume up and excitedly explained to my guests that they were in for a treat because Paul Williams was fighting. I knew who Sergio Martinez was but I didn’t really know. No one did. No sooner had the fight started, when my guests who are not serious boxing fans like myself, began to ask about the “other guy”. Rightfully so because Martinez was standing toe to toe with Williams throwing serious bombs with very bad intentions. It was also clear that out of the two knockdowns that occurred in that crazy first round, Sergio’s knockdown of the “Punnisher” was the most impressive.
I can without a doubt remember thinking Paul’s head was gonna pop off his shoulders. To be honest, I didn’t know what to be more impressed with, Martinez’ punching power or Paul Williams’ ability to absorb punishment and keep pushing forward throwing solid punches of his own. It’s no wonder that fight was named “Fight of the Year” and it did not surprise me at all that a rematch was put together. After all…who else wanted to fight these guys anyway? If they wanted to stay busy, make money and get a quality opponent in the ring, it only made since to do it again. Not to mention all the serious boxing fans and boxing commentators from around the globe on back to the Atlantic City, New Jersey Boardwalk, which reaped the benefits of hosting both matches.
After Martinez’ dominating performance in Sergio Martinez vs Paul Williams 2. all doubt has been erased about who the winner is, and Martinez seems to be an even more avoided fighter now. He’s calling everybody out from Paquiao to Cotto to Mayweather. How can you be one of the hottest names in boxing right now, yet you cannot land a decent fight? This is exactly why “Sugar” Shane Mosley took an unwanted year long hiatus from boxing directly after taking out Antonio Margarito. Finally Floyd Mayweather stepped up to challenge Mosley, and it was the highest earning fight of 2010. Martinez has been looking way too good lately. In a way it kind of makes Paul Williams’ venture all the way up to challenge the middle weight king even more remarkable. Paul Williams can make 147 lbs. while Sergio cannot and Martinez is definitely the larger, more powerful man.
Even in defeat, I have the utmost respect for Paul Williams just for getting in the ring with Sergio Martinez. To be honest, I will be surprised if we ever see another welterweight jump weight classes to challenge Martinez again. Bob Arum has made it perfectly clear that Martinez isn’t getting anywhere near Manny Paquiao. Negotiations between Martinez and Cotto was cut short almost as quickly as they started. Instead Cotto is now scheduled to meet Mayorga, and then it’s a rematch with Margarito. The only other welterweight who may have the courage and the skills to match up against the feared Martinez is Floyd Mayweather. However Floyd has legal issues to deal with at the moment , and then I’m almost positive Mayweather will take a tune up fight to get his timing back before accepting any major challenges.
In the meantime, Martinez unlike Mosley will be keeping his skills sharpened. This time he will be fighting a southpaw his own size. HBO is putting together a match up between Martinez and undefeated middle weight Sergei Dzinziruk of Germany. It’s definitely not the big fight Martinez would have liked but he will be well compensated. In Sergio’s second title defense he is going up against The WBO jr. middle weight champion who is coming off a decisive 10th round stoppage over Daniel Dawson. At 34 years of age, Dzinziruk is 37-0 with 23 KOs. Look forward to seeing the fireworks on May 12th unless you opt to order the Top Rank PPV event between Miguel Cotto and Ricardo Mayorga. Or maybe you find a way to see both!