Based in Spain and led by boxing legend Martinez, along with Óscar Zardaín, Maravillabox Promotions has gone from strength to strength in recent years, working with the best names in the sport.

Martinez himself continues to compete on the prestigious shows, with the most recent coming last month when the former middleweight world champion defeated Brian Rose at the Plaza de Toros in Valdemoro.

Maravillabox Promotions boasts an impressive stable of Spanish talent, which includes former world champion Kiko Martinez and world title challenger Angel Moreno, and this new partnership with Probellum will allow fans in Spain to see plenty more of their stars.

Probellum’s ever-growing promotional alliances across the globe means that the fighters will also be given the chance to compete around the world, as it looks to to find the best opportunities and most exciting match ups for athletes.

The deal with Maravillabox Promotions is the latest co-promotional agreement for Probellum, having already announced partnerships with some of the biggest names in sport, such as Wasserman Boxing, Universum in Germany, LNK Boxing in Latvia, Glozier Boxing in New Zealand, Team Ellis Boxing in Australia, Armin Tan Promotions in Indonesia, and Box Office Sports in Ghana.

“I am very pleased to have reached this agreement with Probellum,” said Sergio Martinez. “It means that 2022 will be a great year full of opportunities and great shows for Maravillabox Promotions.

“This is the definitive impulse that Spanish boxing needed to enter the elite,” said Óscar Zardaín of Maravillabox Promotions. “Our boxers will now get the chance to show the whole world exactly what they are made of.”

“This new co-promotional agreement is fantastic news for boxing fans in Spain and across the world,” said Richard Schaefer, President of Probellum. “Spain has always been home to some incredible boxers, and now they will get the attention that they rightfully deserve.

“With boxing legend Sergio Martinez at the helm, Maravillabox Promotions was one of the big promoters in Europe that wasn’t deterred by the pandemic and continued to work hard to grow, so we’re extremely excited to see how things unfold with our new agreement.”

For live news and updates, be sure to follow Probellum on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

PHILADELPHIA (June 4, 2021)–Sergio Martinez takes on undefeated former junior middleweight champion Serhiy Dzinziruk for the WBC Diamond Middleweight title tonight on the next installment of Classic Fight Night on fubo Sports Network.

The fight, which took place on August 12, 2011, at the Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut, featured Martinez (37-2-1), who was coming off wins over Kelly Pavlik, and an explosive 2nd round knockout over Paul Williams. He took on the distinguished junior middleweight champion Dzinziruk (34-0), who was moving up in weight to take part in the southpaw showdown.

Watch what happened when these high-class pugilists met. Tune in to watch these explosive results.

About fubo Sports Network
Available on 75 million devices, fubo Sports Network is the live, free-to-consumer TV network featuring sports stories on and off the field. Launched by live TV streaming platform fuboTV (NYSE: FUBO) in September 2019, fubo Sports Network airs live sports, award-winning original programming and partner content from CampusLore, FanDuel, Stadium, The Players Tribune, USA TODAY and VSiN, among others. Stream for free on LG Channels, News on Tubi, Plex, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Vizio Channels and XUMO or as part of fuboTV’s base subscription package of 100+ sports, news and entertainment channels.

For regular updates on our fighters, events, and promotions, please like the Banner Promotions Facebook Page, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @BannerBoxing

Reading, PA (June 29, 2020)–.Former Two-time world welterweight champion Kermit Cintron (39-6, 30 KOs) would like to let former world middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, that if he were to comeback, it should be against him.

After recent reports that Martinez will end his retirement, Cintron is adamant that a rematch of the two world champions is inevitable.

On February 14, 2009, Cintron and Martinez fought to a disputed draw in Sunrise, Florida, and now is the time for the two to settle the score.

“I see that he is coming back, and I want the opportunity to face him. We have some unfinished business from our fight in 2009, and this is the time to do it. There were various opinions on that fight. If the fight needs to be in Spain, Argentina or wherever, my Passport is up-to-date, and I am willing to travel,” said Cintron

“This is a no brainer fight for the promoters, but it is up to Sergio. I am sure he would like to avenge the draw, so let’s make it happen.”

Said Marshall Kauffman of King’s Promotions, “This would be a great fight. It’s two former world champions looking for that one last shot at something significant. The winner would have that. I will reach out to his representatives, and try to make this fight happen.”

Carl Froch and Darren Barker own some of the best wins on away territory by British fighters, and the duo talk about fighting on the road with Chris Algieri on the latest episode of ‘The Rounds’.
WATCH EPISODE TWO OF ‘THE ROUNDS’ AS CARL FROCH AND DARREN BARKER JOIN CHRIS ALGIERI
Froch began life as WBC World Super-Middleweight champion with a thrilling final round win over Jermain Taylor in Connecticut in April 2009, and then in 2010-11, ‘The Cobra’ went on the road during the Super Six series to face Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham, Glen Johnson and Andre Ward.

Barker’s first World title action saw him face the formidable Middleweight king Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City in October 2011 and then returned to the same city in August 2013 to achieve his World title dreams in dramatic fashion against IBF king Daniel Geale.

Both men open up on those trips and more, including great stories on their sparring sessions together.

Carl Froch: “I enjoyed being on the road. When we boxed for England we were going to hostile environments and fighting top fighters back-to-back in nations tournaments, but I was always a nervous fighter. So, when I defended my title against Jermain Taylor in Connecticut, I was nervous about it all. 

“Not so much boxing abroad, but more that it was Taylor, a former undisputed Middleweight World champion. I saw him get out of this limousine for the press conference in NYC and he just looked like the don, he had this nice suit on and looked crisp and clean. I was just there with a hoodie and t-shirt and I was thinking ‘do I belong here?’ It was quite a daunting thing for me, and I was always quite nervous and apprehensive as a fighter, I was unsure of myself, and I was a new World champion and making my first defense. I didn’t really know if I belonged at World level and here I was fighting Taylor in America. I look back at that fight now and think how naive I was at that level and I just had to put all my trust in Rob McCracken and my fitness, my refusal to quit and my competitive nature, I like to win.

“[Kessler and the volcanic ash cloud] On Tuesday of fight week we had Sky News on and they were saying all the flights we grounded so I am thinking I am definitely not going, the US broadcasters aren’t going to be able to make it over, so it’s definitely off. We had a barbecue in the garden, I had a couple of cans of Guinness; I don’t drink much, and I had a couple of them in fight week! The next day my promoter rang me and said that the Sauerlands’s were sending a private jet and the flight was at 2pm. Private jet sounds glamorous but it wasn’t, it was a five-seater, it was bumpy all the way and Rob doesn’t like heights so he was white all the way and didn’t say a word, hanging onto the seat and looking at me, and I was winding him up saying ‘I think we’re bang in trouble here this plane is all over the place!’ 

“I crashed the weight which I never do, and at the weigh-in I felt weak. It’s the first and only time I ever did that, but I don’t want people to think I’m making an excuse, I felt good to fight and had a great 12 rounds against a brilliant fighter and I just didn’t quite do enough. But going over on the Wednesday under that ash cloud in fight week and being overweight, switching off, it was horrible. I believe that things happen for a reason though and in boxing you don’t win or lose, you win or learn. I learnt how to come back and in my next fight I fought Arthur Abraham and the WBC title was back up for grabs, that boosted my spirits and that loss then didn’t feel as bad. 

“The loss with Andre Ward felt worse. Andre is a fantastic fighter, very skillful, fast, hard to hit, good with his jab. I remember getting out of the fight thinking, I had a decent rounds in 10, 11 and 12, and I was getting into it and I thought, why didn’t I start earlier, why didn’t I get into it, why didn’t I believe in myself? But that’s what we do when we lose, we look for reasons.”

Darren Barker: “I never felt more nervous or under pressure in the States and I think a big part of that was the experience of fighting all over the world as an amateur.

“I flew into New York with Eddie Hearn and we were in and out for the Martinez press conference, I remember the American’s almost laughing at me for showing any confidence, even though I was undefeated and European champion, I just hadn’t fought anybody. I was confident in my ability, but it was the unknown, I had sparred hundreds of rounds with Carl, an elite level fighter, but it’s still sparring. I knew I was capable of being in there with elite fighters, but I didn’t quite understand where I was at the time. 

“I don’t have any regrets looking back at my career, but I have a slight one looking back at that fight because I think if I had believed in myself a little more, been more aggressive and forced the action more, then potentially I could have caused a huge upset. I’m not saying that it would have happened, I just wished I gave it a bit more. But the whole unbuild up was just the reason I chose boxing, I was on top of a huge skyscraper in New York for the presser and thinking, ‘this is it, I’ve made it’. I was walking up fifth avenue with Eddie and we walked past a shop with bright green trousers in the window and Eddie said: ‘you should buy them and wear them at the press conference for a laugh!’ I said: ‘no chance, I wouldn’t be seen dead in them!’ We got to the press conference and Sergio was wearing that exact pair of trousers! 

“The Repton club had a knack of churning out top quality Southpaws so I was never fazed at fighting them, I knew I would be able to compete with him and it was a great experience for me and one that was massively valuable going onto the Geale fight.

“I’d been to Atlantic City for the Martinez fight, so it wasn’t alien to me and I was driven to right that wrong. We had a similar game plan, to be aggressive but smart, on the front-foot and hold center of the ring. It wasn’t until I got in there that I realized how awkward he was, he had a knack of getting out of range, I was falling short and adopted a different plan to get on his chest and outwork him. 

“The moment I got put down in the sixth round, a lot of people know my brother Gary passed away, he was a very good fighter and if I had have lost that fight I would never have fought again, it would have been a box that hadn’t been ticked and it would have eaten away. So, I was just so prepared to leave everything in the ring that night that a body shot was never going to keep me down, fast-forward to the 12th round and hearing Michael Buffer say, ‘and the new’, I still can’t believe it. I achieved what I set out to do. 

“There were a lot of question marks over my toughness, but I always knew I was tough. You don’t do 12 rounds of sparring with Carl and not be tough! I always knew there was a fight out there to show everyone I was mentally and physically tough.”

Froch and Barker star in the second episode of ‘The Rounds’ and the first episode, featuring Mikey Garcia, Devin Haney and Daniel Jacobs talking about the highs and lows of boxing, can be found on Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel.

Katharina Thanderz (12-0, 2 KOs) will have star support from Argentinian boxing legend Sergio Martinez when she meets Danila Ramos (8-1, 1 KO) for the interim WBC World Super Featherweight title on November 16th in Oslo.

The former two-weight World Champion will be ringside as Thanderz looks to capture her first World title in front of her home fans at the Ekeberghallen.

“It means a lot to me that Sergio will be there,” says Thanderz. “He always promised that he would be there when I fought for my first World title and he hasn’t forgotten. I couldn’t believe it when he texted me a picture of his flights to show he was coming. I was very happy and got very emotional.”

Before signing for Team Sauerland, Thanderz fought under Martinez’s Maravillabox promotional banner, and the 31 year-old admits the former WBC and WBO champion has been a influential figure in her boxing career.

“He is a big inspiration for me. Not only because of his success as a boxer but also because of his whole life story, which is really special and unique,” she says. “He is the perfect example of the fact that you can achieve whatever you want in life with hard work and self-belief, even when starting from the very bottom.

“He started boxing when he was 20 years old and went all the way to the top winning World title fights more than 10 times. He grew up in a very poor family, and overcame a lot of adversity in life. It’s impossible not to get inspired with his story. He’s also an excellent human being, and so humble. I really appreciate and value his friendship.

“He always gives me a lot of advice, and takes an interest in watching my sparring videos to tell me his point of view. He never talks about specific techniques, but helps me a lot with the mental part of boxing, mental strategies, and the tactical part, which he thinks is the most important part of the game. He’s extremely intelligent, and understanding his philosophy helps me a lot.”

“In her most important fight, it’s a pleasure for me to be able to be there with Katharina to witness her World coronation,” says Martinez. “For me it is a tremendous honour to know her and to have been able to work with her. The most beautiful thing about Katharina, apart from being an excellent athlete, is her quality as a person. She’s a fantastic woman. I love and respect her a lot. I will be there supporting her. She really deserves that.”

Katharina Thanderz headlines a huge show at the historic Ekeberghallen as she faces Danila Ramos for the interim WBC Female World Super Featherweight crown, while Kai Robin Havnaa looks to bolster his World title claim in a crunch cruiserweight clash with Mariano Angel Gudino, and top talents Kevin Melhus, Alexander Hagen, Bernard Torres and Kent Erik Baadstad complete an action-packed card in the Norwegian capital.

Tickets are available online via www.ticketmaster.no. All the action will be available to watch live across Viasat 4, Viasport + and Viaplay in Norway.

Promoter/matchmaker and legendary talent scout Sampson Lewkowicz wishes to congratulate his long-time fighter and former junior middleweight and middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, for being included on the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) ballot for the class of 2020.

In his long and storied career, Martinez held the Interim World Boxing Council World Super Welter Title and the WBC Middleweight Championship, which he defended six times. His memorable victories over Paul “The Punisher” Williams (KO 2) Kelly Pavlik (UD 12) and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (UD 12) cemented Martinez as one of the top fighters of the early 2010’s.

Lewkowicz, best-known as the man who discovered Manny Pacquiao, signed a then-unknown WBC Super Middleweight Champion David Benavidez and brought Martinez to North America, is also making his debut on the hall-of-fame ballot this year. Lewkowicz was a long-time advisor to Martinez through all the most important parts of his career and the pair enjoy a warm relationship to this day.

Martinez will have his work cut out for him to make the cut, as the Class of 2020 is stacked with superstars including Jorge Arce, Timothy Bradley, Vuyani Bungu, Joel Casamayor, Diego Corrales, Carl Froch, Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Antonio Tarver and Israel Vazquez.

“I congratulate the great champion, Sergio Martinez, for being named in this esteemed hall’s ballot. He was and will always be a role model and beloved fighter and this recognition is well deserved. I hope the judges see him as the great warrior he is and put him among the best of all time.”

Lewkowicz, a former amateur boxer, was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and came to the US in 1971. He met then World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman while managing an electronics store in New York City and caught the boxing bug. The rest, as they say, is history.

He is nominated in the Non-Participant Category, along with 29 others including Kenny Adams (trainer), Rodney Berman (promoter), Freddie Brown (cut man), Bill Caplan (publicist), Miguel Diaz (trainer/cutman), Lou DiBella (promoter), Cameron Dunkin (manager), Kathy Duva (promoter), Duane Ford (judge); Al Gavin (cut man); Harry Gibbs (referee); Brad Goodman (matchmaker), Dr. Margaret Goodman (ringside physician), Dan Goossen (promoter), Chuck Hull (ring announcer), Brendan Ingle (trainer), Jackie McCoy (manager/trainer); Dave Moretti (judge), Carlos Padilla (referee), Abel Sanchez (trainer), Fritz Sdunek (trainer), Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel (administrator) and Ulli Wegner (trainer), Ted Broadribb (manager), Charles E. “Parson” Davies (Manager), Francois Deschamps (manager), Dai Dollings (trainer), John Fleming (manager/promoter) and Gilberto Mendoza Sr. (administrator).

The hall of fame’s electors, made up of members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and selected non-members of the BWAA as well as a panel of historians from Japan, England, Canada, Italy, South Africa, Germany, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States, will vote for five people in each category and, in Lewkowicz’s category, the top three vote-getters will be inducted.

Adding some hope to Martinez’s chances, the IBHOF has made a rule change that states that in addition to the top-three vote getters, any fighter who receives more than 80% of the vote will be inducted, creating the possibility of five fighters being enshrined in one year.

“It is just an honor to be on the ballot with so many great names,” continued Lewkowicz. “My hope is for Sergio Martinez, who deserves to take a place of honor among the greats. He is an icon and a treasure to his countrymen and deserves any accolades he receives.”
About Sampson Boxing

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America. Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, ESPN+, DAZN, VS., FOX, Fox Sports and several international networks. For more information, visit sampsonboxing.com.

Erick Ituarte won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Estrella in a featherweight bout that headlined a five-bout card at the Doubletree in Ontario, California.

Ituarte, 125.3 lbs of Santa Ana, CA won by scores of 100-89 twice and 98-92 and is now 21-1-1. Estrella, 125.7 lbs of Tijuana, MX is 20-16-1.

“I knew he would try to come forward and attack me in a straight line,” Ituarte said after the fight. “I just waited for the openings and landed plenty of clean shots throughout.”

“I felt strong heading into this match up and I think it showed in my performance,” Ituarte said.

Richard Brewart kept his perfect record intact with a four-round unanimous decision over Sergio Martinez in a super middleweight fight.

Brewart, 156.7 lbs of Ranch Cucomonga, CA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards, and is now 5-0. Martinez, 163.3 lbs of Tijuana, MX is 6-6.

Luis Lopez remained undefeated with a four-round unanimous decision over Daniel Perales in a welterweight bout.

Lopez, 145.3 lbs of Corona, CA won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 5-0. Perales, 146.9 lbs of Monterrey, MX is 10-17-2,

Oscar Torrez remained undefeated by stopping Thomas Hawkins in the final round of their heavyweight bout.

Torrez dominated, and finished him with a hard flurry at 1:20 of round four.

Torrez, 214.4 lbs of Riato, CA is 5-0 woth two knockouts. Hawkins, 253.6 lbs of Houston is 4-4.

Christian Conway and Devonte McCowan battled to a four-round draw of debuting lightweights.

McCowan won a card 39-37, while two cards read even at 38-38.

A possible rematch between retired former middleweight champion Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez has been bandied about, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“It’s not true,” Promoter Eddie Hearn told ESPN about a deal being close. “Yes, I have spoken to both fighters regarding the fight, but there is no contract, nothing signed, no deal in place. It’s something that has been discussed, but a deal is not imminent. It’s not at all done.”

“I’m curious about the fight, but honestly I don’t think it has legs, no pun intended,” Hearn said of the fight rumored for Nov. 17 either in Las Vegas or a site in Texas.

SHAWNEE, Okla. (Sept. 19, 2018) – Former unified world champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez sees big things for his protégé Jon “JonFer” Fernandez as the undefeated super featherweight prepares for his toughest test to date in O’Shaquie Foster in the headlining bout of ShoBox: The New Generation this Friday, September 21, live on SHOWTIME (9:45 p.m. ET/PT).

Martinez, known for his extensive career and impact inside the ring and now at the helm of Maravillabox Promotions, has managed Fernandez since 2015. Since his pro debut at only 19 years old, Fernandez (16-0, 14 KOs) has climbed the prospect rankings while keeping his unblemished record intact, knocking out 88 percent of his opponents along the way. The 23-year-old Fernandez was named the No. 5 prospect in all of boxing on ESPN’s Top Prospects of 2017 list, and looks poised to challenge for a world title at 130 pounds in the near future.

This Friday’s quadrupleheader features eight prospects boasting a combined record of 81-2-1 and 56 KOs. The telecast opens with James Wilkins (5-0, 5 KOs), who is featured on SHOWTIME’s CRADLE OF CHAMPIONS documentary immediately preceding the ShoBox telecast at 9 p.m. ET/PT, taking on Misael Lopez (8-0, 4 KOs). Also included on the card is a battle between undefeated featherweights Irvin Gonzalez Jr. (10-0, 9 KOs) and Carlos Ramos (9-0, 6 KOs), plus and Brooklyn’s Wesley Ferrer (12-0-1, 7 KOs) colliding with undefeated lightweight Philadelphia prospect Steven Ortiz (8-0, 3 KOs).

This week, the former world champ Martinez spoke to SHOWTIME about what the future might hold for Fernandez and his stablemate, fellow-undefeated prospect Carlos Ramos:

SERGIO “MARAVILLA” MARTINEZ:

How much has Jon progressed since the last time we saw him on SHOWTIME in June 2017?

“It’s been over a year since last time Jon fought in the United States. I’ve seen him mature as a person and as a boxer. He’s been in three very difficult fights, he knocked out a Panamanian Olympian and won the WBC Silver belt. He’s now ranked in the top 10 at super featherweight by the WBC.”

How far away do you believe Jon is from challenging for a world title opportunity?

“With every fight, JonFer is a step closer to an opportunity to showcase his talent on the big stage. I think 2019 will be the year where we see him in a big fight against another top 10 opponent or challenging for a title.”

You have sparred with Jon in the past, how did that go? Do you still train with him?

“I train with JonFer a few days a week. He’s so strong. I think he’s stronger than most 130-pounders, and he can pack a punch. He’s a power puncher.”

What initially drew you to work with Jon in the beginning?

“As soon as I met JonFer, I knew I wanted to work with him. His talent stood up right away. I knew he was a hungry, five-star boxer with world championship fever. The perfect prospect.”

How do you feel about the matchup Jon has on Friday night against O’Shaquie Foster?

“Foster is his toughest rival to date, so naturally I’m a little nervous. But I know JonFer has what it takes to get the win. I have a second fighter on the card, Carlos Ramos. I’m always a little nervous when my boxers fight. It’s normal.”

Irvin Gonzalez is also undefeated, what does Carlos need to do for the victory?

“Carlos Ramos doesn’t have to do anything special to defeat Irvin Gonzalez. He just has to be himself. Ramos knows this is the biggest opportunity he has ever had and that this fight can change his life. That’s the best motivation he can have to bring his A-game to the ring on Friday.”

What are you thoughts on Carlos as a prospect?

“I have high hopes for Carlos. He has a lot of talent and is a southpaw, just like me. He reminds me of myself when I was starting. I believe in his potential.”

Presented by DiBella Entertainment, tickets for the event are priced at $60 for ringside, $40 for floor seats and $30 for general admission and can be purchased online at www.firelakearena.com or at the door on the night of the event.

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About ShoBox: The New Generation

Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 77 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams and more.

By Bart Barry-

We begin with a definition of cool, or don’t, because it’s something sensed, though generational difference might alter such sensations, and we do so not so much because it’s an essential topic but because it’s a possible topic to fulfill a personally essential task: Find an enjoyable weekly subject at least tangentially related to boxing.

There aren’t as many cool millenials as cool guys from previous generations, and that may be a symptom of transition or a product of technology or it may be a function of age. The older a man gets, the less cool young men appear or maybe, again, it’s generational. Cool is unaffected, unencumbered, unburdened, confident life’ll take care of you – cool is a man making his way easily in the world. Cool isn’t a pair of sneakers or jeans or a haircolor or beard or concerns about fashion.

Here’s a timely example: As I write this, in a coffeeshop in San Antonio’s Medical Center neighborhood, across the way is a handsome guy, midtwenties, 6-foot-4, trim, skinny jeans, hoody, perfect beard, white-on-black Nikes either brand new or kempt, probably in medschool, a guy women round the shop noticed when he entered. Cool. But he’s buried in his smartphone, swiping and jabbing, and his right heel is tapping frantically under the table. Uncool. As the minutes go by he’s rolling his eyes, shaking his head, smoothing his beard, alternately glaring and chomping on gum; for all his erudition and fashion choices he’s become affected, encumbered, burdened. He’s his reasons, certainly, good ones, too, he’s got a lot on his mind, but it all manifests as insecurity, anxiety about changing circumstances that may be both adverse and powerful, which might could turn out to be wisdom – rendering the few of us in the coffeeshop who are unaffected more oblivious than cool.

But experience says that’s not how things’ll play out, and experience is why men grow cooler as they age. Legend has it, a pitch like that is how Dos Equis picked a whitebeard for its most interesting man in the world; even the coolest 25-year-old lacks the experience to be cool as the coolest 50-year-old.

Which is part of the reason our beloved sport does not have nearly the quotient of cool characters one might expect. I know this because I spent much of the morning trying to name prizefighters I’ve met who struck me as cool.

Why do such a thing?

A few weeks ago I recounted complimenting a fellow boxing writer by likening him to Shock G, someone whose music informed much of my youth but about whom I’d not had a conscious thought in decades, and this week, in the anfractuous way life winds its way, I found myself listening to Digital Underground radio on Pandora and realizing anew what a remarkable artist Gregory Jacobs (a.k.a. Shock G, Icey Mike, Humpty Hump, MC Blowfish, et al.) was, which brought me to this interview about Tupac Shakur. Jacobs is the definition of cool – unaffected, unburdened, gracious, a raconteur, easy, quick to laugh.

We meet prizefighters, especially American prizefighters, before they get a chance to become cool, methinks, when they’re still edgy from fearsome upbringings. Then they achieve success and financial security, generally two prerequisites for becoming cool however their bearers define them, but seem often to shift from the automatic anxiety of rising amongst predators to the automatic anxiety of guarding against losing what status they now enjoy.

Floyd Mayweather, cool as he was in combat, was nervous when I met him, surrounded by mountainous guards and afraid he might be tricked into saying something damning. Manny Pacquiao was pretty cool but a little too eager to please. Marco Antonio Barrera was cool but with a surprisingly predatory vibe. Andre Ward was too distrustful to be cool. Jesus “El Martillo” Gonzales was really cool, but he was my first interview, so maybe it was situational (and quite possibly it wasn’t). Roberto Duran was damn cool. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. got increasingly cool with his victories, and as a child of privilege started on a better footing, sure, but never entirely lost his whiff of fraudulence – insecure you or circumstances might expose him.

Which brings me to the coolest prizefighter I’ve met: Sergio Martinez.

A beneficiary of circumstance, perhaps, Sergio, the first time I met him, had a lot more edge than I expected from seeing him on television; he was taller and more imposing, too. We were in a postfight scrum in Houston after “Son of the Legend” retired Peter Manfredo. It was November and chilly, and there standing halfway back from the podium was the world middleweight champion in a sweater, maybe red, all alone (Rob Base: “I’m not a sucker so I don’t need a bodyguard” – another reminder from Digital Underground radio). He was there to build pressure on promoter Top Rank to risk their guy against him but would do nothing crass like storm the stage. He trusted his simple presence would indict Chavez’s titular reign.

We’d later speak on the phone a number of times, and his openness made him uniquely cool. He was unrushed and unworried. I liked him enough to chide him about his Rolling Stone-Argentina cover, Hector Camacho meets George Michael, and he laughed easily and replied in Spanish, “Look, if I were gay, I’d say, ‘I’m gay, so what?’”

Too there was the way he reacted to Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., the legend himself, at the prefight press conference for his defining fight with Chavez’s son: “Ay, Papa Chavez, you are animated today.”

Being cool is being authentic, ultimately, which summons one last irony: Trying to look cool is a sure path away from being cool.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

VERONA, N.Y. (June 7, 2017) – Former unified world champion and current boxing promoter and mentor Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, along with his protégé Jon “JonFer” Fernandez, an undefeated prospect at 130 pounds, discuss future plans ahead of Fernandez’s second appearance on ShoBox: The New Generation this Friday, June 9, live on SHOWTIME (10:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on West Coast) from Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, N.Y.

Martinez, known for his extensive career and impact inside the ring and now at the helm of Maravillabox Promotions, has worked with Fernandez since his pro debut at only 19 years old. Fernandez (12-0, 10 KOs), who is co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment and MaravillaBox Promotions, has remained undefeated and undeterred, climbing up the prospect ranks with five fights in 2015, another five in 2016 and now getting ready for his third fight this year.

In addition to June 9’s ShoBox being Fernandez’s third fight this year, it will also be his third time fighting on American soil as he opens the SHOWTIME telecast facing tough opposition in Juan Reyes (14-3-3, 2 KOs) for what could be an important fight in his development as he tries to turn from prospect to contender.

The card, which takes place during the 2017 Hall of Fame Weekend where longtime ShoBox analysts Barry Tompkins and Steve Farhood will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, features undefeated super lightweights Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (19-0, 16 KOs) and Joel Diaz Jr. (23-0, 19 KOs) in the 10-round main event. The co-feature will pit Steve Rolls (15-0, 9 KOs) against Demond Nicholson (17-1-1, 16 KOs) in an eight-round super middleweight bout.

Tickets for the event, co-promoted by DiBella Entertainment (DBE) and AASHA Record Breakers, are priced at $65 for ringside, $50, $40 and $30 (may be subject to additional fees) and are available at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling 877-833-SHOW, or online at Ticketmaster.com. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m., with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

This week Martinez and his protégé, “JonFer,” spoke to SHOWTIME Sports about what the future might hold for the 130-pound prospect.

SERGIO “MARAVILLA” MARTINEZ:
How would you describe Jon Fernandez’s style?
“I believe that JonFer is a very well-rounded, complete fighter. He can take advantage of his great wingspan and reach but has no problem fighting in close distance. Furthermore, he’s hitting really hard. I believe we’ll see him fighting with big names in the division soon.

“JonFer has a classic boxing style—a classic, orthodox style. He’s effective when he’s attacking as well as defending. He poses a vision and a combat insight that is truly amazing. Not only does he have speed and precision, but he also has potential in his fists. But, the best characteristic that JonFer possesses is his great professionalism in the sport and in his personal life.”

What would you say is different in Jon compared to other boxers in the division?
“His head, he is very mature for his age. In that sense, he reminds me of myself. He is very serious when he’s working and always looking to improve.

“He has a stupendous perception of the errors his rivals make. He knows how to read the battle and knows when and how to define a fight. I believe that the more fights and time go by, JonFer will establish himself at the top level alongside the top boxers in the world.”

As Jon develops, what plans do you have for him?
“To continue with the hard work like we have to this date. I respect every step in his career. I’d like for JonFer to continue training and preparing himself for what can be a bright and stupendous future.”

Who do you want him to fight – Jesus Cuellar, Orlando Salido, Gervonta Davis, Jose Pedraza, Carl Frampton?
“All of the names mentioned are already great champions. They are all owed their due respect and it would be an honor, not only for Jonfer but for Maravilabox to have the possibility of making fight with any of them.

“Jose Pedraza would be a great test. We’d really like to make that fight happen. JonFer has sparred with Frampton before his rematch with Santa Cruz and we know he was up to the challenge. And of course, we would love to go for the world title against Gervonta Davis and think it would be a great fight. A clash of styles.”

What belts do you want him to go for first?
“First, we’d like him to set a good base. The best for us is to continue building his career step by step and for him to continue learning and adapting himself bit by bit to the top level. As we continue making fights happen, there will be more opportunities for international and world titles. The goal is to get JonFer to become a WBC champion, the most important entity.

“We would be really excited to be able to win the European championship, but we’re ready to fight anyone. All of the belts are important and provide experience.”

What would you see as the ideal next step for JonFer in the next few years?
“Ideally we want to keep him at a weight in which he feels the most comfortable. As fights and time go by, if he needs to go up in weight, he’d do so without a problem. It’s possible for him to end up fighting in superior divisions, but for now we are focused on 130 and I think he can still battle at this weight for several years.”

Can you name who you think are the top five active boxers today?
“I really like Errol Spence Jr., he has a great style that I feel is like mine was. Canelo [Alvarez] and [Gennady] Golovkin are two of my favorites as well, they’ll put on a great fight. Andre Ward, Jorge Linares… There is a lot of talent in the sport at the moment.

What memories of Steve Farhood and Barry Tompkins stand out to you?
“Yes, of course, I have some great moments of my years in the United States and I remember Steve always in front of the SHOWTIME cameras. He is a great professional.

“He is one of the highest-regarded boxing writers in the world. He is a man with a young mentality who knows how to appreciate good boxing.

“Barry Tompkins is a prestigious commentator and what I remember the most about him is seeing him commentate on fights in the era of Tyson and J.C. Chavez. To be a commentator of that stature then, he had to be an excellent professional.”

What would you say is the best (and worst) part about being a promoter?
“To be a promoter is thrilling. I believe that taking the career of the boxers in your hands must be treated like it’s your own life. It’s a true adventure. I can’t find a negative thing to say about being a promoter.”

Do you miss being a boxer?
“To this day I can say that I do not have any desire to return to the ring. My last fights were torturous and I still have problems with my knee to the date as I try to go about my daily life. I continue to train an hour each day and continue to love boxing, but now I prefer watching the youngsters like Jon and help them with my experience.”

JON “JONFER” FERNANDEZ:
Can you tell us what it is like for you to work with someone like Sergio Martinez?
“It’s great, Sergio is always very attentive and a mirror to watch yourself in. Like an athlete, he was one of the greats, but as a person he is even better. Maravillabox Promotions is composed of thorough professionals and the way they treat me is excellent.”

How is your training going? Is your camp any different for this fight?
“I haven’t had too much time since my last fight, just about five weeks. It has been tough, but we were coming off of a much more difficult preparation in fighting for Spain’s world title. I think this will make for a great fight and the fans will have a lot of fun.”

What are your plans for the future? In your career, life, boxing, in the next five years…
“I just got married in April and it was a great experience, the happiest day of my life. I would love to have kids soon. As far as boxing goes, of course I’d like to be a world champion. But first I’d like to go for the European title. I’d like to fight against the best prospects in the division and continuing to make great fights. I will be a world champion one day, I know I can get there.”

Who would you say is your all-time favorite boxer?
“I can’t just say one, I have several. Sergio Martinez, obviously. I also really like Terrance Crawford and Juan Manuel Marquez. Out of the boxing legends, I’ll stick to Alexis Arguello.”

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Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

For more information visit www.sho.com/sports follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, #ShoBox, @loudibella and @DiBellaEnt or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, and www.facebook.com/DiBellaEntertainment.

About ShoBox: The New Generation
Since its inception in July 2001, the critically acclaimed SHOWTIME boxing series, ShoBox: The New Generation has featured young talent matched tough. The ShoBox philosophy is to televise exciting, crowd-pleasing and competitive matches while providing a proving ground for willing prospects determined to fight for a world title. Some of the growing list of the 69 fighters who have appeared on ShoBox and advanced to garner world titles includes: Errol Spence Jr., Andre Ward, Deontay Wilder, Erislandy Lara, Shawn Porter, Gary Russell Jr., Lamont Peterson, Guillermo Rigondeaux, Nonito Donaire, Devon Alexander, Carl Froch, Robert Guerrero, Timothy Bradley, Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, Chad Dawson, Paulie Malignaggi, Ricky Hatton, Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Errol Spence Jr. and more.

Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing and his long-time promotional partner, Sergio Martinez of Maravillabox Promotions, congratulate the welterweight contender they co-promote, Ceferino “Ferino V” Rodriguez, for today’s (December 2) hard-fought EBU (European) welterweight title-winning victory over France’s Ahmed El Mousaoui.

After a scintillating back-and-forth war, Rodriguez (24-1, 12 KOs), also the former WBC Latino Welterweight champion, won a split decision over the determined El Mousaoui (now 24-3-1, 6 KOs) at the Las Palmas in Islas Canarias, Spain.

The victory sets up a potential showdown with former two-weight world champion Paulie Malignaggi for Rodriguez’s newly won European championship on American soil.

“I am happy to have won such a rough fight,” said Rodriguez. “Now I want to make history with a fight between a Spaniard and an Italian on American soil. Bring me Paulie Malignaggi.”

Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz says he hopes Malignaggi sees the historical implications of fighting for a Euro title on US soil.

“Paulie is a smart man as a fighter and commentator. I invite him to try and further his incredible career by going for this championship, which I know is important to his people back in Italy. Forget Connor McGregor and let’s make this world war happen.”

Lewkowicz says he’s very happy for his fighter’s success and for the ongoing relationship with Martinez, whom he also worked with when he was an active fighter and superstar in boxing.

“Sergio and I have enjoyed a long and successful time in boxing and I look forward to making even more boxing history, as we guide the career of Ceferino Rodriguez together, hopefully into a globally important fight against Paulie Malignaggi,” he said.
About Sampson Boxing
After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.

Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing proudly announces the signing of welterweight Ceferino “Ferino V” Rodriguez (19-1, 10 KOs) to a co-promotional agreement, along with former champion Sergio Martinez’s Maravilla Box Promotions.

26-year-old Rodriguez, from Las Palmas, Islas Canarias, Spain, will be trained by well-known Madrid-based trainer, Gabriel Sarmiento. The five-year pro has already won the Spanish Welterweight, European Union Welterweight, and WBC Latino Welterweight Championships.

Lewkowicz, who has previously worked with Spanish champions Kiko Martinez, Gabriel Campillo and Javier Castillejo, says Rodriguez will make a fine addition to his stable.

“Ceferino Rodriguez has the talent to become another great champion from Spain and I am happy he chose to let Sergio Martinez and I help guide his career,” said Sampson Lewkowicz. “He will be training with one of the best in the sport in Gabriel Sarmiento, so everything is now in place for his career to explode.”

Rodriguez hasn’t ventured out of his homeland to fight often, a fact Lewkowicz says is about to change.

“He is at the international level as a fighter and I will be looking to make moves with him on the world stage,” said Lewkowicz of Rodriguez. “Sergio and I believe he has what it takes to become a champion.”

ABOUT SAMPSON BOXING

After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.

Las Vegas (July 13, 2015) – Former WBC, WBO and Ring Champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez and Brooklyn FitBoxing has confirmed that they will appear and have a booth at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the second annual Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday Sept. 12, 2015. The Boxing Expo will coincide with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s last fight and Mexican Independence weekend.

Martinez is an Argentine retired professional boxer. He is the former Lineal, The Ring, WBO and WBC middleweight champion, and his 50-month reign as Lineal middleweight champion ranks as one of the longest in the division’s history. Martinez was previously in the light-middleweight division, where he held the WBC light-middleweight title (interim then elevated to full-status champion).

Martínez was formerly rated as the number three pound-for-pound best boxer in the world — behind Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao — by most sporting news and boxing websites, including Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, and The Ring. In 2010, he received The Ring and BWAA “Fighter of the Year” and The Ring “Knockout of the Year” awards. In 2010 and 2012, he received the World Boxing Council “Boxer of the Year” award. Martinez holds notable victories over former world champions Kelly Pavlik, Paul Williams, Sergiy Dzinziruk, Darren Barker and Julio César Chávez Jr.

Outside the ring, Martínez has been an active spokesperson in the fight against bullying and domestic violence against women. He is the author of the book Corazón de Rey (“Heart of a King”).

Martinez is also part owner of a health and fitness gym company named Brooklyn FitBoxing, headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

Martinez joins “Showtime” Shawn Porter, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, Ruslan “Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov, Terrible” Terry Norris, Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor, Mia “The Knockout” St. John and “El Feroz” Fernando Vargas among early commitments to this year’s Box Fan Expo.

This unique fan experience event, which allowed fans to meet and greet boxing legends, past and current champions and other celebrities of the sport, debuted last September to large, enthusiastic crowds. This year the Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and once again, allow fans a chance to collect autographs, take photos and purchase merchandise and memorabilia.

Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, broadcasting media and other brand companies who wish to participate will have a chance to showcase their products to fans and the whole boxing industry.

Last year’s inaugural Box Fan Expo featured some of the most popular fighters and boxing celebrities in recent history. Fans were treated to visits with Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr, Sergio Martinez, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Mikey Garcia, James Toney, Riddick Bowe, Leon Spinks Terry Norris, Shawn Porter, Chris Byrd, Jesse James Leija, Lamon Brewster, Ray Mercer, Earnie Shavers, Mia St-John, Erislandy Lara, Peter Quillin, Jean Pascal and Austin Trout. Also appearing were current WBC Champion Deontay Wilder, the charismatic Vinny Pazienza, Paul Williams, noted commentator Al Bernstein and top trainer Roger Mayweather of Mayweather Promotions.

The roster of attendees for this year’s Box Fan Expo will be announced throughout the next several months and weeks leading up to the event.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at: http://www.boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

View the official promo video of Box Fan Expo here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/video-2/

View Promo Flyer here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/promo-flyer/

View Photos Gallery 2014 here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/photos/

For anyone in the boxing industry or brand companies who wish to be involved and reserve a booth as an exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Box Fan Expo at:

U.S.A telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: [email protected]

More information on the Box Fan Expo is available at: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

To watch Sergio Martinez video about Box Fan Expo go to: http://goo.gl/awkJ6t

You can follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

“Like millions of boxing fans around the world who have enjoyed watching his spectacular career, everybody at HBO Sports will miss Sergio’s professionalism and elite fighting skills.

What we will do is celebrate a career that is full of accomplishments by one of the most determined athletes of this generation.

Watching Sergio win the lineal world middleweight championship on HBO was a landmark moment in the sport’s history.
More importantly, our respect and admiration for Sergio as an individual is unmeasurable.

His decision to be an activist and campaign against bullying is just one example of how he has taken his celebrity and used it as a positive force to make the world a better place.

We will be forever grateful to Sergio and his team for allowing HBO to chronicle his remarkable journey to the top of the sport.”

Ken Hershman
President, HBO Sports

New York (May 13, 2015) – “MARAVILLA”, the documentary based on the struggle of middleweight champion Sergio Martinez to reclaim his crown in boxing, will premiere on iTunes US on May 19, 2015. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival (2014), won the “Best Editing Award” at Mar del Plata Film Festival (Argentina), was nominated for “Best Documentary” for the Academy Awards of Argentina (2014), and was selected for the Official Competition at Guadalajara (Mexico, 2014), Lima (Peru, 2014) and Málaga (Spain, 2015) Film Festivals. “MARAVILLA” will also be available on Google Play, YouTube, PlayStation Networks, Vudu, Amazon Video, Xbox and On Demand on major US cable providers on May 19, 2015.

“MARAVILLA” premiered on Netflix USA, Canada and UK on April 1st and it was given four stars (out of five) by more than 22,000 households in only 30 days. “MARAVILLA” has also been the #1 Most Popular Spanish-Language Documentary on IMDB.com for the last two weeks. The film is 50% in English and 50% in Spanish.

Director Juan Cadaveira gains unprecedented access into the world of boxing, revealing actual negotiations, the politics of championship organizations and TV networks, and the vulnerable physical condition of an aging champion. The 80-minute character-driven documentary offers a true inside look at the industry and follows middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez through every step of his battle inside and outside the ring to reclaim the title he rightfully owns.

Along with thrilling footage of Sergio’s mastery inside the ring and the persistent efforts by his team to keep him at the top, the film goes beyond the guts and glory of a common boxing tale. “MARAVILLA” reveals an unforgettable man who uses ambition, adaptability, relentless determination and integrity to navigate through a business that is attempting to control his fate.

The documentary captures the grueling physical and mental demands on Sergio. Viewers are invited into his dressing room, his physical therapy sessions, and into his inner circle. The road to his achievements is shown to be isolating at times and requires a vision far beyond what is considered possible for a man who didn’t pick up boxing gloves until he was over the age of 20.

“MARAVILLA” sheds light on Sergio’s childhood growing up in poverty in Buenos Aires, with personal stories from family members and archival footage and photos from his youth. Sergio reveals his inner self and his battles to successfully overcome disappointment, adversity and neglect.

The film features interviews and testimonials by many international boxing personalities such as Mike Tyson, Don King, Oscar De La Hoya, Bob Arum, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Dan Rafael, and the late WBC president Jose Sulaiman. Those closest to Sergio figure prominently in the film, including his longtime promoter Lou DiBella, advisor Sampson Lewkowicz, trainers and his mother along with other family members.

First-time director Cadaveira shot the film over two years in four countries: Argentina, Spain, Mexico and the United States, and in many different cities, from Quilmes to Las Vegas, via New York, Atlantic City, Los Angeles, and Mexico DF.

“MARAVILLA” is written and directed by Juan Pablo Cadaveira, executive produced by Lou DiBella and Jamin O’Brien and produced by BK Blu Productions and Blue Production Company.

By Bart Barry-

Editor’s note: Part 1 can be found here.

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Every kid under the age of 25 on the Metro de Madrid has Sergio Martinez’s haircut, and while none is likely imitating Martinez so much as imitating Martinez’s influences, whoever they are, an hour on the Madrid metro – with aspiring supermodels, male and female, all practicing their vacuous look, that unique fixture of Homo sapiens, the ability to will oneself into a countenance that appears too stupid to formulate an emotion even – reminds any interested onlooker boxing could have done many times worse than we did with Martinez. He may not be missed, but we should still be grateful we had him.

That brings us, somehow, to Muhammad Ali, a man who at 72 was admitted recently to an undisclosed hospital to be treated for pneumonia. No worries, says Ali’s spokesman – as apparently Ali’s malady was caught early, and besides, how serious can pneumonia be? For a man who has suffered Ali’s afflictions, pneumonia is quite serious indeed, and aficionados should expect Sunday’s rosey prognosis to worsen steadily in the days to come, and if not this time round than certainly in the next year or so.

This will not be pleasant. In the days or weeks or months to come, expect every man with a right hand he can raise and make in the shape of a fist to come forward, in as public a manner as possible, to tell us his affiliation with “The Champ.” The tributes will be universally embellished and self-important, a million or more tales subtitled “My Time with The Greatest,” without one telling us anything we do not already know about Ali. From this legacy-borrowing stampede, expect one knight to rise on rear legs and make a social-media scene about Ali’s marital infidelities, known and otherwise, and watch with awe as, just that quickly, the myriad of Twitter feminists, female and male, pivot from Cosby Watch to leave their lasting mark, finally, by undermining the world’s memory of an icon.

They’ll not leave a mark because they never really do; their audience’s collective attention span can be measured in minutes, not decades, and some new tragedy or travesty will have their anxiety redirected in a fortnight or less.

What will remain months and years and decades after the souvenir gatherers are gone is Ali’s legacy with us, the dwindling number of persons who care about prizefighting with any measurable frequency, and Ali’s legacy with us will begin with 7-2 (4 KOs), Ali’s record against prime versions of Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and George Foreman. Unlike those who might tomorrow sue posterity for greatness when their careers soon conclude, Ali fought four great prizefighters an aggregate of nine times. He made real fights with other great men, yanking his legacy from the hypothetical realm in which today’s largest draw resides, with his empty blather about alphabetized sides and alphabetized titles, dotingly broadcasted via shameless interviews no one believes any longer.

In a different astonishing interview last week, the president of HBO Sports told The Ring he is “thrilled” with his network’s coverage of boxing in 2014. Evidently, it is difficult for him to imagine how his network could do better with our sport in 2015, and well it ought be: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. versus Bryan Vera II in San Antonio, a Boxing After Dark undercard match in nearly any other year, or a Latin Fury headliner, set a mark of viewership-enormity HBO managed not to surpass in nine subsequent months of trying. Incredibly, not even Gennady Golovkin’s record-breaking performance in Carson, Calif., the one where Golovkin devastated the fragile psyche of that guy who lost to Chavez Jr. in 2012, could unseat “Son of the Legend” from his brink-pink throne, or lift the cannabis wreath from his head.

While Chavez may not fight again for a while – a common benefit of signing with Al Haymon – HBO should hurry its cameras to Verona, NY, next month, as Vera, one half of HBO’s Broadcast of 2014, will be in action with Willie Monroe Jr., and anyone who doubts more “thrilling” things will be in store lacks the imagination to run HBO Sports.

It’s all spires now, friends, and some of them come with crossing bridges: “Son of the Legend” would be continuing his reign of terror over the middleweight division, entering the ring to giggles, proudly wearing round his bunching waist the WBC’s gaudy, cream-of-green strap at catchweights from 170 pounds to 200, today, were it not for Sergio Martinez, who did a favor to whatever seriousness remains about our sport when, in 2012, Martinez stood on his shot knee and fought Chavez off him. We now know Chavez would have whupped the broken Martinez in a rematch, and with a genuine ticketseller and viewerseducer like “Son of the Legend” in its stable, why, HBO might not have shown what noteworthy imagination it has employed discovering Gennady Golovkin.

However poorly the network now broadcasts boxing, it makes good documentaries, for the most part, and last week’s premiere of “Tapia” was not an exception to a record that is no longer quite exceptional as it was. The story of Johnny Tapia is familiar to all aficionados, of course, but “Tapia” is somewhat predictable even for those unfamiliar with his story; the documentary follows an arc one recognizes every step of the way, and the hero’s demise is preordained as his ascent. It is not a causal observation, though, to say the movie’s most intensely watchable parts comprise footage from Tapia’s championship career.

It is quite possible, in fact, the highlights from Tapia’s matches with Danny Romero and Paulie Ayala mark the highest-quality, competitive fighting seen on HBO in 2014 – with all due respect, of course, to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. . . .

*

Editor’s note: For Part 3, click here.

*

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

After lengthy discussions with members of his team, now-former WBC Middleweight Champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez has decided to continue his boxing career.

Determined to return and erase the terrible memory of what happened against fellow-great Miguel Cotto in June, 39-year-old Martinez will next face a top-10 contender with the goal of recapturing his world title.

“Miguel De Pablos (Business Manager) and I met with Sergio at his home in Madrid and he says he is 100% healthy and ready to do what it takes to return to the very top of boxing,” said Martinez advisor Sampson Lewkowicz.

Lewkowicz says Martinez will first undergo a full battery of head-to-toe testing from top specialists in New York, but pending full medical clearance, the former champion will be returning to the ring on a mission.

“Against Cotto, Sergio was badly hurt in the opening round from the first left hook that landed,” continued Lewkowicz, “after that, he remembers only pieces and had very little control of his body and especially his legs. He fought entirely on instinct. It was the worst night of his entire career and he is coming back to prove he is a superstar fighter who just had a bad night.”

Martinez (51-3-2, 28 KOs) had been favored to defeat the smaller Cotto when the pair met last month at Madison Square Garden. But one monstrous Cotto left hook a minute into the fight led to three first-round knockdowns and an eventual 10-round stoppage loss.

While many speculated that Martinez’s previously injured knee had affected the southpaw’s normally cat-like agility in the fight, Lewkowicz says it was not the case.

“He got caught with an unexpected punch and it disconnected his body. It happens in boxing, especially against a puncher like Miguel Cotto. If you look at the tape of the fight, look how slow his hands were. A bad knee doesn’t cause your hands to slow. It was clear it was not the real Sergio in the ring that night.”

Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment, who will continue as Martinez’s promoter, says a great fighter like Martinez deserves the benefit of the doubt if he still feels he can compete at an elite level.

“Obviously June 7 was a terrible night in the ring for Sergio Martinez,” said the always outspoken DiBella. “But he says he can still do it and that he’s totally committed to winning back his title, so I stand behind him. He’s already come back to do great things after a stoppage loss to Antonio Margarito earlier in his career and he’s positive he can do it again. So we’re going to put him in with someone who can get him in line for a title shot and see what he can do. If he doesn’t look to be the same fighter anymore, I will be the first to admit it, but he deserves the chance to prove it was just an off-night in an otherwise stellar career.”

No opponent or return date have yet been finalized, but an announcement will be made in the near future.

ABOUT SAMPSON BOXING

After a very successful run as a matchmaker and adviser, Sampson Lewkowicz switched over to the promotional side of professional boxing in January 2008.

Sampson Boxing has grown into one of the world’s most prestigious promotional firms, representing many of the world’s best fighters and most promising young contenders.

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America and Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, VS. and several international networks.

By Norm Frauneheim-

It’s a season of declining expectations. Miguel Cotto’s dramatic victory over Sergio Martinez represents the third straight time that pay-per-view numbers for a major fight were disappointing. Once might be an aberration. Twice is cause for concern. But three straight? That’s a trend.

The reported number for HBO”s PPV-telecast of Cotto-Martinez on June 7 was 350,000. The projection was 460,000 to 500,000. That follows reports that Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s decision on May 3 over Marcos Maidana fell short of the one-million mark, an expectation built into the Money May nickname. Mayweather has generated more than one million in six fights — Oscar De La Hoya (2.4), Canelo Alvarez (2.2), Cotto (1.5), Shane Mosley (1.4) Victor Ortiz (1.25) and Juan Manuel Marquez (1.06). Against Maidana, the buy-rate was reported to be about 900,000, although Showtime has not announced a number.

The first domino to fall was Manny Pacquiao’s rematch victory over Timothy Bradley on April 12. The HBO telecast did between 750,000 and and 800,000 according to various media sources. Like Mayweather, Pacquiao failed to meet the million milestone that the Filipino has often surpassed. His PPV average was 1.079 million for seven fights between his victory over Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6, 2008 and his majority-decision over Marquez on Nov. 12, 2011 in their second rematch.

The 2014 decline has been blamed on a lot of things, all reasonable. There have been too many pay-per-view shows for ho-hum fights, Top Rank’s Bob Arum told ESPN. There was too much competition for eyeballs on the Cotto-Martinez weekend, when the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers played for the Stanley Cup and the Triple Crown was at stake in the Belmont, Martinez promoter Lou DiBella said.

Yes and yes.

But the conversation ignores a very big fly in the troublesome ointment.

Sliding numbers are further confirmation that the promotional feud has taken a toll. It appears that the bitter divide between Golden Boy and Top Rank has begun to heal because of De La Hoya’s initiative. He reached out to Arum and promised to renew a working relationship with ex-Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer’s sworn enemy. The move was gutsy, yet risky. It led to immediate turbulence at Golden Boy, the company he founded in 2002. Schaefer resigned. Chief Operating Officer Bruce Binkow soon followed. But it’s hard to know what will happen, long-term.

What the PPV numbers say, however, is that the so-called cross-over crowd, the casual boxing fan, has moved on. It’s safe to say that the cross-over fan isn’t interested in the blow-by-blow coverage of insults exchanged by feuding personalities. Nasty divorces, done over and over again, are tired events. Good fights aren’t. The best of the good just hasn’t happened because of a feud that might be healing, but isn’t resolved.

The guess here is that a key clue to Golden Boy’s future will be revealed this fall. On October 13, a lawsuit filed by All-Star Boxing against Golden Boy involving Canelo is scheduled to go to trial in Florida’s Dade County. The allegation is that Golden Boy signed Canelo when he was still under contract to All-Star.

If it was business as usual, the lawsuit might come and go like so many others have. But these are unusual times, even for a sport that has seen it all. The October trial looms as critical. Canelo is the biggest draw in Mexico, boxing’s biggest market. Retaining his promotional rights would appear to be a cornerstone to Golden Boy’s viability. Whatever happens in that Miami courtroom, it’ll have lasting impact throughout.

Until October, however, the business is in limbo. There are some very good fights, the biggest of which is Canelo-versus-Erislandy Lara on July 12 in a Showtime pay-pew-view fight at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand. But will the cross-over fan watch? The first half of 2014 says no.

That cross-over demographic is critical. It’s what turns a good fight into a blockbuster and what makes Mayweather worth the potential $250 million that Showtime invested in him. Thus far, however, that crowd isn’t there anymore.

For now, the NHL, or horse racing, or the World Cup, or a movie looks as if it’s a better investment than pay-per-view boxing. Winning back that fan is the biggest fight, but doing it is a challenge complicated by a sport that has yet to repair itself.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the June 7 showdown that saw Miguel Cotto win the Middleweight championship did about 350,000 buys which was about 100,000 less than expected.

“The numbers were not great,” said said Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who is rehabilitating in Los Angeles after having knee replacement surgery last week. “All the numbers boxing has been getting on pay-per-view have been terrible. It’s not disappointing; it just is what it is. There are too many (pay-per-view cards).

“Pay-per-view was always designed, as was closed circuit back in the day, for true super fights, not just very good fights. There have been pay-per-views every month and people resent the fact that they’re asked to pay extra for anything halfway decent. Boxing pay-per-view numbers are down. Look at the (recent) numbers for the (Floyd) Mayweather and (Manny) Pacquiao fights. The UFC pay-per-view numbers are also down.”

Said Lou DiBella, Martinez’s promoter, “It’s well off the projections. It underperformed. HBO expected 460,000 to 500,000 and it did well under that.”

“There were so many big events,” DiBella said. “There was a lot of competition for eyeballs and the pay-per-view industry is suffering because people had a lot of other choices that they didn’t have to pay for.”

Arum said that Cotto would likely return in December — again on HBO PPV — at Madison Square Garden.

“We’re thinking about the possibility of making Cotto and (Timothy) Bradley,” Arum said.

“We’re talking but we’d have to work (the weight) out. We haven’t gotten that far yet.”

“It probably makes more sense for us to do a Cotto-Canelo fight next year on the Cinco de Mayo weekend,” Arum said.

Arum said he did not know for sure whether Showtime had options on Alvarez after the Lara fight, but added that if they make the match “I’ve been told it’s not an issue.” He said HBO holds no futures on Cotto but that they would not leave HBO.

By Bart Barry-

Two Saturdays ago in Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden our sport bade a tempered farewell to former middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, squinting at a hobbled impostor sent hobbling to his stool by Miguel Cotto, even while recalling fondly the innovator who once, as a 154-pounder, stood brazenly, gloves on thighs, before middleweight world champion Kelly Pavlik. Saturday in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center our sport bade a fond hello to New York junior welterweight Chris Algieri, a smartly stylish innovator of his own who just unmanned boxing’s most-feared puncher, Russian Ruslan “Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov, to score 2014’s biggest upset by split-decision scores of 114-112, 114-112 and 109-117.

After weathering a one-punch knockdown and a timeout knee in Saturday’s opening round, Algieri proved himself intelligent and unflappable as a man might be in his world-title-fight debut. Perhaps no tactic employed by Algieri Saturday betrayed the cleverness of his unorthodox craft better than how he repeatedly thrust himself at the ropes each round, performing a feat of balance and leverage that would merit bonus ring-generalship points from judges, were our sport’s scorekeepers reliably able to observe from a mindset more sophisticated than “hit the damn guy!”

A man driven to the ropes by another, the way, say, Mike Alvarado was driven ropesward by Provodnikov in October, generally gets flattened against them, his feet and shoulders squared in tacit agreement his better deserves the largest conceivable target upon which to whale. But Algieri was rarely found in such a helpless posture when his back touched the ropes, ropes against which the New Yorker was rarely trapped by Provodnikov. Instead Algieri’s left leg remained well in front of his right, and his weight shifted dramatically from front to back each time he arrived within a meter of the ropes. He exploded, in other words, backwards to the ropes, employing them much as a slingshot from which he hurled himself forward, either to smother and clinch and counter Provodnikov, or to pivot more quickly away.

It was an innovative and innovatively ballsy way to fight the hardest puncher in the junior welterweight division, a man whose blows temporarily claimed Timothy Bradley’s consciousness any number of times, and in one half hour succeeded at transforming Mike Alvarado from a tatted badboy to a wincing pragmatist – a feat still eluding Colorado’s criminal-justice system in a decade of trying.

Algieri’s achievement was still more impressive when one considers Provodnikov did not have an off night. His head movement under trainer Freddie Roach’s instruction has improved steadily, and his footwork, while perhaps plodding, is nevertheless Mexican-like in its efficiency. Provodnikov was on, Saturday at Barclays Center, and did not appear dismayed or frustrated during the first defense of his WBO title. Both guys made the fights they drew up in camp, both men executed their gameplans, and Algieri was simply the better prizefighter.

He hit Provodnikov with every punch in the boxing lexicon, from uppercut counters to a left-wheeling righthand lead thrown like a jab with more than a tincture of Muhammad Ali. Algieri suspected, and quickly proved, that while the acceleration Provodnikov applies to the mass of a fist is unique among even professional punchers, Provodnikov is not physically stronger than most 140-pound prizefighters, and certainly no stronger than Algieri – part of a riddle of human musculature, flexibility and form that finds a man who can military press his body weight often incapable of hurling a football more than 20 yards using the same deltoids. Bounding off the ropes, time and again, Algieri met Provodnikov in full forward press and stopped the Russian’s momentum, and in some cases drove him backwards – and only one man was in any way able to punch while moving backwards, Saturday, and it decidedly was not the Siberian Rocky.

Every punch Provodnikov landed was ferocious, though, do not doubt; until a man has been ringside while Provodnikov is punching, until he has heard the quantitatively louder sound Provodnikov’s leather makes when it smacks flesh, he cannot appreciate quite how brutal the Russian’s attack is. Better put: Perhaps only those aficionados who have been ringside for a Provodnikov prizefight fathomed judge Max DeLuca’s dissenting 109-117 score, a card to make roseate the cheeks of even professors in the “hit the damn guy!” school of scorekeeping. Rumor is, HBO’s unofficial scorekeeper, too, awarded too many points to Provodnikov, though that faux-pas is pardonable for an entirely different reason: Steve’s job is to ratify whatever Jim and Max shout in his headset through the preceding three minutes; these days, HBO’s unofficial scoring could as easily be done from the production truck.

After the match, Algieri, as cogent a postfight interview as memory retrieves, said only the first left hand Provodnikov landed, the one that unceremoniously dropped the New Yorker on the blue mat in round 1, actually hurt him. That is nearly believable, as unflappable as Algieri appeared while fielding Provodnikov’s other clean punches, even with Algieri’s right eye closed or closing for the fight’s final 33 or so minutes. Or perhaps, in a counterintuitive twist, Algieri’s closed right eye helped him.

As demonstrated two Saturdays ago by Miguel Cotto, Roach-trained fighters are particularly adept at throwing left hooks their opponents do not detect; Sergio Martinez stubbornly believed he could see Cotto’s left-hook lead coming, even though he couldn’t, while Algieri, well aware he could peripherally detect nothing right of his nose, relied instead on what data his left eye recorded of Provodnikov’s shifting weight well before Provodnikov had his hook fully cocked, allowing Algieri to block and duck Provodnikov hooks in a way that looked perfectly magical to casual fans.

For his part, after the match Provodnikov implied Algieri ran away instead of fighting him, a curiously slanderous thing to say of a man whose knuckles just touched one’s head and body some 250 times. Such was the one-eyed Christopher Algieri’s masterful control of space and time, though, that a man who stood within arm’s length of him for a minimum of 300 instants Saturday still openly wondered where the hell Algieri had been during their fight.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

HBO’s hit late-night boxing franchise returns for a full night of world class action when HBO BOXING AFTER DARK: RUSLAN PROVODNIKOV VS. CHRIS ALGIERI AND DEMETRIUS ANDRADE VS. BRIAN ROSE is seen SATURDAY, JUNE 14 at 10:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside for the event, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: June 15 (9:00 a.m.) and 17 (12:45 a.m.)
HBO2 playdate: June 15 (3:00 p.m.)
In addition to the two live fights, HBO will air the replay of the Sergio Martinez-Miguel Cotto world middleweight title fight from June 7. In a brilliant display before a capacity crowd at Madison Square Garden, Cotto registered a career-defining performance in capturing the 160-pound title belt. The highly anticipated showdown was carried originally on HBO Pay-Per-View®.
In the feature event at Brooklyn, Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KOs), the “Siberian Rocky,” puts his hard-earned junior welterweight title on the line against local talent Chris Algieri (19-0, 8 KOs) of Huntington, NY in a matchup slated for 12 rounds. An awe-inspiring outing against Timothy Bradley in 2013’s Fight of the Year and a rousing triumph over 140-pound titleholder Mike Alvarado last October have brought Provodnikov, 30, to the doorstep of stardom. The Russian’s exciting fighting style, coupled with arguably the most destructive right hand in the division, are guaranteed to satisfy the most critical boxing buffs.
Different principles have paved a path of triumph for the 30-year-old Algieri. In February, facing his toughest challenge yet, he picked Emmanuel Taylor him apart en route to a unanimous decision. That victory has merited him a shot at Provodnikov’s title in his first headlining bout on HBO.
The live action kicks off as two budding stars duke it out for the junior middleweight crown when titleholder Demetrius Andrade (20-0, 13 KOs) of Providence, RI, and Brian Rose (25-1-1, 7 KOs) of Blackpool, Lancashire, UK, square off in a 12-round fight.
After being knocked down for the first time in his promising career, Andrade, 26, doggedly scrapped his way to a split decision over the then-undefeated Vanes Martirosyan in his HBO debut last November. The rising star will be defending his title for the first time.
Victories by knockout, decision and points have cemented the 29-year-old Rose’s reputation as one the most versatile and ring-savvy prizefighters in the UK. This bout marks his first American appearance and his HBO debut.
Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.
All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.
The executive producer of HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.
® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

By Bart Barry–

If we choose to believe all was well with Argentine southpaw Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez’s lower body when the opening bell rang on his match with Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, Saturday, a match Martinez’s corner ended after nine rounds and a few perfunctory protests from Martinez, a match that ended with Cotto leading by three insurmountable scores of 90-77, we must also believe Martinez didn’t know Miguel Cotto had a left hook he should slip or duck.

Whatever the delta between Martinez’s expectations and Cotto’s actual speed and power, and whatever exaggerated praise we’re now prompted to give trainer Freddie Roach by the network that gave us “On Freddie Roach,” Martinez did not successfully evade 10-percent of the left hooks Cotto hurled his way in an opening round that saw the Argentine driven to the blue mat thrice. It is impossible to believe Martinez is that dumb. His handlers, though, seem to believe we are.

Saturday Sergio Martinez commenced with an apology the final postfight interview he’ll conduct after a world-championship match, offering his regrets to Argentines and Puerto Ricans and whoever else made the trip to Madison Square Garden to see him defend his lineal middleweight world championship against a smaller man who was, himself, considered done with world title fights 4 1/2 years ago. It was an uncommon start to a postfight autopsy. Jermain Taylor, the man who beat Bernard Hopkins twice to become and remain the middleweight world champion Kelly Pavlik beat twice to become and remain the middleweight world champion Sergio Martinez beat four years ago to become the middleweight world champion, certainly did not begin his interview after being stopped by Pavlik in round 7 of their 2007 championship match with an apology.

Martinez’s apology meandered about in the shady terrain between a lamentation all did not go perfectly as needed for him to remain upright and a concession he knowingly participated in, and promoted, a profitable event for which he was unfit. Telling was this: In the moment after Cotto’s first left-hook lead sent Martinez wobblehobbling across the canvas, Cotto looked surprised by the development as Martinez, who began Saturday’s match hopping senselessly leftward, the hybrid of a kangaroo and an Amir Khan, as if to present evidence that, whatever happened henceforward, he was right and right mobile when the match began.

While boxing bookmaking is a fool’s errand, did there even exist a way to calculate prefight the probability Miguel Cotto would open with a 10-6 round? That score, right there, says plenty about Martinez’s fitness to make Saturday’s fight: It says a man was knocked to the canvas three times without a referee much considering waving the match off, which says the knockdowns Cotto scored on Martinez were at least in part like the second knockdown Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. scored on Martinez, improperly ruled a slip, in the 2012 fight that unbuttoned them both.

After Saturday’s first round, the match was little more than a sadist’s ball, as Martinez’s legs were always what made him unique, and without them, with a lead right leg that looked splinted from heel to hamstring, Martinez would be unable to find a rhythm or punch trajectory worth a dash, and would have no anchored force on any punch, or subsequent acceleration on his knuckles, on the odd chance he did land one. After the second knockdown of the first round, when the lineal middleweight champion got muscled to the mat by a man in his middleweight debut, one Cotto made while weighing a few sips of sportsdrink above super welterweight, Martinez’s handsome countenance was the picture of hopelessness. If he was frustrated by the failure of one or both of his knees, he was not appalled – Martinez’s face, Saturday, said “Already?” where his face against Chavez once said “My God!”

There was something nigh fraudulent about the entirety of Cotto-Martinez, beginning with an asinine plot that went from “I must punish Miguel Cotto for not saying thank-you to the barista who served coffee at our first photo shoot” to “I sell more tickets than Sergio Martinez” before arriving at “Max, since we are both bored with this idiocy, may we interview you?” It was a middleweight championship fight contested by men whom former champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler could have beaten in a handicap match, two on one, and Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins would have undone in one evening’s consecutive matches without ordering Richard Schaefer to fetch his alien getup in between.

But our sport retains its feelings of goodwill for both Martinez and Cotto, and well it might. Even had those who absolutely knew better, from Martinez’s trainer to his promoter to his cable network, told us of Martinez’s true condition, the high probability he’d be unable to evade Cotto for more than a minute or two, few aficionados would have begrudged “Maravilla” a pension fight against Puerto Rico’s only active ticket-seller, in Madison Square Garden the day before National Puerto Rican Day Parade 2014. The fight satisfied all matters of curiosity and suspense, and settled them quickly, and rewarded Cotto for repeatedly making since 2007 what daring matches Floyd Mayweather does not.

And to Martinez it gave a final and robust payday with his dignity diminished but still intact, an amicable goodbye in the tradition he bids farewell to others – “con un abrazo fuerte (with a big hug).”

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

HBO Sports presents SERGIO MARTINEZ VS. MIGUEL COTTO, the replay of their highly anticipated world middleweight title fight, SATURDAY, JUNE 14 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO. The HBO Sports team, which was ringside for the live coverage at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden, calls all the action, available in HDTV.

In the hottest prizefight of the first half of the year, Martinez and Cotto — two of boxing’s most celebrated superstars — met for the first time in the ring on Saturday, June 7. The showdown was carried live on HBO Pay-Per-View®. Cotto, in a career-defining performance, captured the middleweight title belt with a dominating display. The fight was stopped in round 10.
Immediately following the replay, HBO presents the previously announced “HBO Boxing After Dark®” doubleheader from Brooklyn headlined by the world junior middleweight title fight between Ruslan Provodnikov and Chris Algieri.
Other HBO playdates for all bouts: June 15 (9:30 a.m.) and 17 (12:25 a.m.)
HBO Signature playdates for all bouts: June 15 (3:00 p.m.) and 16 (12:30 a.m.)
® HBO BOXING AFTER DARK is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Saturday’s HBO Pay-Per-View telecast begins at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT with fights from the “Mecca of Boxing” – Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The main event of the evening features a battle for the middleweight championship of the world when former three-division world champion Miguel Cotto and current middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez meet in a 159-pound fight scheduled for 12 rounds.

Official Weights from New York:

Miguel Cotto: 155 lbs.
Sergio Martinez: 158.8 lbs.

Felix Verdejo 134.5
Engelberto Valenzuela 134.5

Jose Lopez 121.2
Raul Hidlago 122.2

Jantony Ortiz 113.5
Elio Ruiz 112.2

HBO will present both episodes of 24/7 Cotto/Martinez back-to-back tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT and tomorrow (Saturday, June 7) at 11:30 a.m. ET/PT.

Join the conversation on Twitter: #CottoMartinez

LONDON (June 6) – British middleweight Martin Murray says he has unfinished business with WBC champion Sergio Martinez as he eyes a rematch with the sensational Argentine.

The balletic Buenos Aires banger takes on Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto this Saturday night in a megafight at New York’s historic Madison Square Garden, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

And, 31-year-old Murray, who ran the slick southpaw Martinez very close last year, losing somewhat contentiously on points in front of a hostile Argentine crowd, believes ‘Maravilla’ will prove too big for Cotto, who is moving up from light-middleweight.

“I think Martinez is going to win. I’ve seen them at the press conference beside each other and Martinez looks a lot bigger. I don’t know if it was the camera angle or what but Martinez just seemed a lot bigger to me,” Murray told BoxNation.

“When I fought Martinez there was a size difference between me and him, so he’s not really the biggest, but I just don’t think Cotto is big enough for middleweight. Martinez is fast and he punches hard and I think he’s going to outwork Cotto.

“I know Cotto himself will be bringing up a lot of qualities but I feel that Martinez is going to beat him,” he said.

However, the St Helens pugilist doesn’t believe that Martinez is unbeatable, and with respected trainer Freddie Roach now in Cotto’s camp he will have a man in his corner who may be able to execute the perfect strategy for the fight.

“Anyone who gets their tactics or gameplan right will beat Martinez. If you make him fall short with his punches everytime he comes in, and don’t stand and be a target for him – those are the right tactics for him,” Murray said.

“That’s the tactics I used, and no doubt Freddie Roach would have been watching his last fight which was against me and working on those types of tactics because he’s a great trainer.

“So having Freddie Roach will be a big advantage for Cotto. However, tactics aside I just think Martinez will come out victorious on the night,” he said.

Murray is currently preparing for his next outing on June 21st when he faces Ukrainian Max Bursak in Monaco, another fight you can see live on BoxNation.

The bout will be for the vacant WBC Silver middleweight title, which could set up a fight with the victor of Martinez and Cotto, something which excites Murray.

“I’ve got to get past my next fight, so obviously I don’t want to look too far ahead. In an ideal world I win my fight, put in a good performance, and that pushes me forward to a fight with the winner of those two, which I would take all day long. My next fight is for the WBC Silver title so maybe that might help. I just leave it to my team but hopefully we can get the winner,” he said.

There is no doubt in Murray’s mind who he would prefer to fight, with the steely middleweight keen to put right the blemishes on his record 29-1-1 record.

“I would fight Cotto and would love to share the ring with him, but I’ve got unfinished business with Martinez. There are two blemishes on my record that I want to put right – Sturm and Martinez,” he said

“I would love a rematch with Martinez, but loving it and getting it are two totally different things. I’m not to sure I would get it but I would like the chance to right the wrongs on my record. I want the rematch with Martinez and hopefully we can get it made,” said Murray.

Martinez vs. Cotto is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday night at 2am. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

And to celebrate a super stacked summer schedule, this week BoxNation are waiving the £8 registration fee for all Sky subscribers. Just use offer code ‘HEAVYWEIGHT2’* when subscribing at www.boxnation.com to make sure you don’t miss out.

-Ends-

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NEW YORK (June 6, 2014) – One day before three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico MIGUEL COTTO challenges World Boxing Council (WBC)/The Ring middleweight champion and Argentina’s favorite son SERGIO “Maravilla” MARTÍNEZ, opinions are flying on who will emerge victorious. Below, please find some select celebrity predictions. Cotto vs. Martínez will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, Saturday, June 7, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT, from the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden.

“Both are excellent fighters. And most have Martinez winning this match. And no disrespect to Sergio – who I love, but are you kidding me? How can I not root for my fellow Boricua?! I’d be run outta town! Win, lose or draw, Miguel Cotto!”
– Rosie Perez

“I’ve met both of these incredible fighters with such a wonderful demeanor outside the ring and the question is who has the most boxing ingredients left at this point in their career? Sergio always will have that power which never leaves a boxer even past his prime and Cotto will always have that knowledge to break down an opponent during the fight. A slight edge to Cotto but don’t bet the house. Good luck to two great fighters and decent men!”
– Sugar Ray Leonard

“I am a big Cotto fan. I think he’s out-matched in this fight. He’s the smaller guy plus his hand speed isn’t faster. I’d love for Cotto to beat this guy but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
– Brandon Jacobs

“Sergio by close decision. He must use his smarts or Cotto will take it.”
– Micky Ward

“Martinez will take it. He’s bigger, stronger, and more physical.”
– Reggie Miller

“This will be a defining moment for Cotto. If he gives his absolute best and uses everything he has learned from his experience in boxing he will give a great account of himself. I would like to see him do well because he has gotten some bad breaks in his career. He is going to have to cut Martinez off in the ring because is a great mover. He’s like a tango mover when he boxes. My personal opinion I think this is going to be one of the greatest fights of the year. I am looking forward to taking my wife on a great date night to celebrate our fifth anniversary.” ?
– Mike Tyson

“It is an interesting fight for the boxing world and also for Team Cotto. Cotto should win by decision.”
– Felix Trinidad

Promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions, Top Rank®, DiBella Entertainment and Sampson Boxing, in association with Maravilla Box, PS4, Tecate and Madison Square Garden, the Cotto vs. Martínez World Middleweight Championship event will take Saturday, June 7, at the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET /
6:00 p.m. PT.

*************************************

Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, who has sold more tickets to The Garden than any other fighter in this millennium, will attempt to become Puerto Rico’s first four-division world champion while Martínez (51-2-2, 28 KOs), of Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina, who has never lost a world championship fight, defends the title he first won in 2010. Both gladiators boast a combined record of 89-6-2 (59 KOs) – a winning percentage of 92% and a victory by knockout ratio of 66%.

HBO will present both episodes of “24/7 Cotto/Martínez” back-to-back Friday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday June 7 at 11:30 a.m. All times are ET/PT.

Face Off: Cotto/Martínez HBO Replay Schedule (All times ET/PT):
June 6 (8:00 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.) and 7 (10:30 a.m.)

Remaining tickets to the Cotto vs. Martínez world middleweight championship event, priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, www.dbe1.com, www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com and www.maravillabox.com, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/DiBellaentertainment, facebook.com/TopRankMiguelCotto, facebook.com/maravillabox and facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/dibellaent, twitter.com/hboboxing, twitter.com/realmiguelcotto or twitter.com/maravillabox. Use the Hashtag #CottoMartinez to join the conversation on Twitter.

LONDON (June 5) – Trainer Freddie Roach has claimed Sergio Martinez ‘has nothing left’ as the Argentine defends his middleweight world title against Miguel Cotto this weekend.

Hall of Fame trainer Roach and WBC champion Martinez have been involved in a heated exchange, with the pair refusing to hold their tongues ahead of this Saturday night’s megafight at Madison Square Garden, live and exclusive on BoxNation.

Hostilities between both camps were heightened earlier this week when it was claimed Team Cotto were against the 39-year-old Martinez wearing a knee brace in their bout, stating that it could be hazardous to the Puerto Rican star.

However, the New York State Athletic Commission ruled in favour of the Argentine Martinez, who will now be allowed to wear the supportive sleeve on the right knee which he injured during his bout with Britain’s Martin Murray last year.

“There are no issues with the sheath I will be using for my knee on fight night,” said Martinez. “Once the commission saw what it actually was I was using, they were completely okay with it. It was very hard for me to come back from this [the knee and shoulder injury], but I have an excellent team behind me, and more than that I have my ego and that is what drove me to get back to where I was before the injuries occurred. I don’t know who brought up the issue about the sheath I am wearing on my knee. Whether it was the commission or Cotto’s team directly I am not sure,” he said.

“The only one who will pay for it though is Miguel Cotto on June 7th. I feel great, and you will see that come Saturday night. I am totally 100% healthy. My doctor told me that I only need to wear it as a precaution, so I am following my doctor’s orders,” Martinez added.

Cotto’s trainer, Roach – who teamed up with the 33-year-old last year – has been vocal during fight week, questioning Martinez’s chin and claiming that he is shot as a fighter.

“Sergio is in over his head on this one. We worked on fighting southpaws and have it down to a science now. Miguel will have no trouble with Sergio’s style. Working opposite Miguel with Manny Pacquiao gave me great insight to Miguel’s flaws,” said Roach.

“It taught me his weaknesses and during this camp I was able to eliminate them. The wear and tear of the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr fight ruined Martinez. He has nothing left. Miguel is the fresher fighter,” he said.

Despite having only been with Cotto for one fight – his impressive third round stoppage of Delvin Rodriguez last October – the respected Roach believes they have the perfect gameplan to overcome Martinez.

“Winning this fight will be about ring generalship. Miguel must keep himself in a good position and control the ring. This is what we have worked on for nine weeks in training camp. Miguel never knew how to do this before we began working on it,” he said.

“Miguel will have to cut the ring off, stay off the ropes and stay out of the corners. He now knows how to do it. He is a great student and one of the most disciplined fighters I have ever trained,” claimed Roach.

This will be the second time that a Roach fighter goes up against Martinez, with Chavez Jr the first, with the Mexican losing conclusively on points despite dramatically knocking down ‘Maravilla’ in the final round.

The slick, unorthodox Martinez, is now looking to get one over on Roach again, riled by all the talk that has preceded the clash with Cotto.

“Regardless of what Freddie Roach says, Cotto will get beat up on Saturday night. Freddie Roach is a joker and a big talker. He was saying how a cyclist cannot beat a world champion, and look at what happened with Chavez,” said Martinez, in reference to a past claim by Roach about his cycling background.

“He says Chavez only trained for 5 days for that fight, but that is not my fault, it is both Chavez and his team’s fault. Freddie is a good trainer and a good business man, he knows how to sell a fight,” Martinez said.

Martinez vs. Cotto is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday night at 2am. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

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FREDDIE ROACH:

“Winning this fight will be bout ring generalship. Miguel must keep himself in good position and control the ring. This is what we have worked on for nine weeks in training camp. Miguel never knew how to do this before we began working on it. Miguel will have to cut the ring off, stay off the ropes and stay out of the corners. He now knows how to do it. He is a great student and one of the most disciplined fighters I have ever trained.

“Sergio is in over his head on this one. We worked on fighting southpaws and have it down to a science now. Miguel will have no trouble with Sergio’s style.

“Working opposite Miguel with Manny Pacquiao gave me great insight to Miguel’s flaws. It taught me his weaknesses and during this camp I was able to eliminate them

“The wear and tear of the Julio Cesar Chavez Jr fight ruined Martinez. He has nothing left. Miguel is the fresher fighter.”

MIGUEL COTTO

“Can I carry my power up to 160? I’m a puncher and my power has cm with me from 140 to here at 160.

“It’s going to be a great weekend for Puerto Rico with the fight the Festival and Tito Trinidad’s induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

“It’s a lot easier to make weight and do my job at 160 pounds. Weight isn’t a big issue for this fight.

“I’m not worried about Sergio and what he has done or what he will do. I’m only worried about what I need to do…what Freddie has taught me…what we worked on in training camp. The man with the best skills will win this fight

“This was the best training camp I’ve ever had because of my team – Freddie, Gavin and Marvin. A lot of people say Michael Jordan wouldn’t be Michael Jordan without Scottie Pippen. Freddie Roach is my Scottie Pippen. Our chemistry together has been great.

“To be the first Puerto Rican to win a world title in four divisions would be an achievement. Gomez, Benitez, there have been a lot of good fighters from Puerto Rico before me. When I started boxing, Tito Trinidad was our big star. A victory on Saturday night would make me feel happy and proud. I would like to be remembered as a boxer who tried to do his best.”

SERGIO MARTINEZ:

“There are no issues with the sheath I will be using for my knee on fight night. Once the commission saw what it actually was I was using, they were completely ok with it.

“It was very hard for me to come back from this, (the knee and shoulder injury) but I have an excellent team behind me, and more than that I have my ego and that is what drove me to get back to where I was before the injuries occurred.

“Not all Argentineans are looking forward to the World Cup, as not everyone is a soccer fan but I can assure you that everyone in Argentina is definitely looking forward to and paying attention to this fight.

“It is not only Austin Trout that made it a difficult fight for Cotto, but Mayweather and Pacquiao as well. We have looked at all of those fights, and picked up on different things that have worked against Cotto. My trainer Pablo Sarmiento has come up with a great game plan and you will see me execute it perfectly on Saturday night.

“I will never stop doing what I do. It has been very painful and I have suffered a lot, but to be the best, these are the type of things that you have to go through and sacrifice.

“It is not only about just me or Chino Maidana, but it is about all of the fighters and champions in our country right now. We are all representing our country at the highest level and this is great for Argentina.

“I don’t hate Cotto, never. I get upset with some of the things that he does and says, but I don’t hate him. We are professionals and we must act like professionals.

“I don’t know who brought up the issue about the sheath I am wearing on my knee. Whether it was the commission or Cotto’s team directly I am not sure. The only one who will pay for it though is Miguel Cotto on June 7th.

“I feel great, and you will see that come Saturday night.

“I am totally 100% healthy. My doctor who is here with me told me that I only need to wear it as a precaution, so I am following my doctor’s orders.

“I am very motivated for this fight. I am totally on my game and everyone will see that on June 7th.

“Regardless of what Freddie Roach says, Cotto will get beat up on Saturday night.

“Freddie Roach is a joker and a big talker. He was saying how a cyclist can not beat a world champion, and look at what happened with Chavez. He says Chavez only trained for 5 days for that fight, but that is not my fault, it is both Chavez and his team’s fault. Freddie is a good trainer and a good business man, he knows how to sell a fight.

“After this fight I will sit down with my team and we will discuss the future. I have one fight left with HBO and I am 100 percent going to fulfill that. So for anyone saying that this is my last fight, they are wrong.

“I am getting asked the same questions over and over again about my knee, and I know that the media is just doing their job. I can assure you though that I am 100%. I am old, but not by that much.

“Cotto has taken a lot of punishment in his fights but I am expecting the best Cotto on Saturday night.

“My style is the style that I have used since the amateurs. I have done this for the past 17 years and I won’t change. It has always worked for me so why change now? My best defense is with my legs not with my arms.

“Regarding getting knocked down: It is not how you get knocked down, it is how you get up and I always get up. That’s what makes me the champion that I am.

“Many people in the press and the boxing world say that my style is not likeable, but I enjoy it. I am different and I am very happy with the way I am. The critics follow me because I bring something different in the ring than any other boxer. I am unique.

LOU DIBELLA:

“We got a request a couple months ago that we had to have Sergio get a MRI on both his knee and hand. It is interesting that this have never come up before in the past. It was the commission’s request though, and we abided by it. I commend David Berlin and the NYSAC though as he came to a very quick decision and determined that the sheath is ok for Sergio to wear on fight night.

“Do I think people were messing with us regarding the whole issue with the knee and sheath? Yes, absolutely.

“When watching Sergio train in Miami, Sergio was working with a young fighter and he was telling him to think with his feet. A lot of fighters miss this concept. Sergio has perfected it.

Three-division world champion and the Pride of Puerto Rico MIGUEL COTTO, challenges World Boxing Council (WBC)/The Ring middleweight champion and Argentina’s favorite son SERGIO “Maravilla” MARTÍNEZ, Saturday, June 7, at the “Mecca of Boxing,” Madison Square Garden.

Promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions, Top Rank®, DiBella Entertainment and Sampson Boxing, in association with Maravilla Box, PS4, Tecate and Madison Square Garden, the Cotto vs. Martínez World Middleweight Championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET /
6:00 p.m. PT.

*************************************

Cotto (38-4, 31 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, who has sold more tickets to The Garden than any other fighter in this millennium, will attempt to become Puerto Rico’s first four-division world champion while Martínez (51-2-2, 28 KOs), of Quilmes, Buenos Aires, Argentina, who has never lost a world championship fight, defends the title he first won in 2010. Both gladiators boast a combined record of 89-6-2 (59 KOs) – a winning percentage of 92% and a victory by knockout ratio of 66%.

HBO’s Emmy-Award-winning series “24/7 Cotto/Martínez” – Episode No. 2 premieres Tomorrow! Thursday, June 5 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Face Off: Cotto/Martínez HBO Replay Schedule (All times ET/PT):
June 5 (1:00 a.m.), 6 (8:00 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.) and 7 (10:30 a.m.)

Remaining tickets to the Cotto vs. Martínez world middleweight championship event, priced at $750, $500, $300, $200, $100 and $50, can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008), and online at www.ticketmaster.com and www.thegarden.com.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, www.hbo.com/boxing, www.dbe1.com, www.sampsonboxing.com, www.promocionesmiguelcotto.com and www.maravillabox.com, Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, facebook.com/DiBellaentertainment, facebook.com/TopRankMiguelCotto, facebook.com/maravillabox, and facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, twitter.com/dibellaent, twitter.com/SampsonBoxing, twitter.com/hboboxing, twitter.com/realmiguelcotto or twitter.com/maravillabox. Use the Hashtag #CottoMartinez to join the conversation on Twitter.