by James Slater – It’s no real news to fight fans that Sergio Martinez, the current WBC light-middleweight champion, is the frontrunner to come in as the replacement opponent to face Paul Williams now that “The Punisher’s” bout with Kelly Pavlik has fallen through for a second time. Martinez, a southpaw like Williams, has wanted to fight the welterweight and light-middleweight titlist for some time now, and in speaking to Dan Rafael over at ESPN.com, his promoter Lou DiBella has made it quite clear his fighter will step in to tackle Williams if a sensible offer is put his way by Dan Goossen..
According to Rafael, Goossen is also talking to Universum, about a possibility of a Williams-Sergiy Dzinziruk fight on December 5th. Either fight would result in an all-southpaw match-up, and both possibilities are intriguing. Martinez is the most likely option, though, primarily because he was in training to box on either December 5th or 12th anyway.
“We’re ready, willing and able to fight Williams and there is nobody in the world who will give him a more difficult fight at 154-pounds than Sergio,” DiBella told ESPN.com. “These are the two best lefties in the division, the two best guys in the division. I don’t think it’s an easy fight for Williams or for Sergio.
“I’ve had preliminary discussions with Goossen. Come with a proper offer and we’ll make the fight in two seconds.”
We will likely know in a few days’ time whether or not Goosen has come up with an offer DiBella and his fighter are happy with, but the fight does make sense. No, it’s not as exciting a fight as Williams’ challenge of “The Ghost” would have been; but then, what fight is?
Martinez is a damn good fighter, and he is unbeaten in over nine years and has good skills and a good chin – having been stopped just once, by Antonio Margarito down at welterweight in 2000. And though the having-trouble-getting-a-fight Dzinziruk would surely disagree with DiBella’s assertion that Martinez and Williams are the two best southpaws currently operating at 154, there is no doubting the Spaniard’s credentials.
Martinez, however, has not fought in as long a time as the troubled Kelly Pavlik; having fought to a draw with Kermit Cintron back in February (a fight most people felt he won). Could ring-rust be an issue for the 34-year-old if he does step into the ring with 28-year-old Williams?
Martinez has been in the gym working hard since the draw with Cintron, though, so he will certainly be in fighting condition. Who knows, if it happens, Williams-Martinez could be a great fight.
Let’s just hope that Williams fights someone before the end of the year. He’s too good a fighter to be kept out of action for eight months or more.