Preview: Sergio Martinez vs Matthew Macklin

by Gautham Nagesh

A common complaint of casual sports fans that try to take an interest in boxing is how hard it is to determine which fighters are really on top. The proliferation of weight classes, sanctioning bodies, and bogus belts makes it impossible to know who deserves to be called champion. That’s why tonight is an occasion for boxing scribes to stop our ceaseless complaining, and celebrate the sensation that is middleweight champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez.

Martinez is the true champion of the sport’s second-most iconic division, the same weight at which the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson, Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler plied their trade. He needs no alphabet trinket to certify him as the champion; he is the owner of the Ring belt and even more, the champion by public acclaim. Few middleweights are even brave enough to go near a ring with Martinez, let alone challenge his claim to the crown.

Tonight Sergio faces one of the few willing to take up the challenge: Irishman Matthew Macklin, who is rated third at 160 lbs. Macklin’s last fight was a split decision loss to WBA boss Felix Sturm in Germany, which most ringside observers felt Macklin won handily. In other words, what we have tonight is the true middleweight champion of the world, defending his belt at Madison Square Garden against a credible challenger, in front of thousands of screaming Irish fans on St. Patrick’s Day. Sometimes even boxing manages to get it right.[[MORE]]

Macklin is a tough customer with decent pop, but he’s in deep against one of the best the boxing world has to offer in Maravilla. Sergio has been so impressive in recent years that his 11th-round stoppage of Darren Barker in October was deemed evidence of newfound vulnerability. Having been ringside for that fight, consider me skeptical. Barker was a world-class fighter and he got his shots in, but eventually he was forced to succumb. I expect Macklin to the do the same in the later rounds, though he may make it to the final bell if he can bottle up Sergio on the inside.

The co-feature on HBO matches rising super middleweights Edwin Rodriguez of Worcester, Mass. and Donovon George of Chicago, in a ten-round bout that should feature good action. Both prospects have seen some rough patches as they face stiffer competition, but I expect Rodriguez to out-box George to get the decision.

Another highlight of the card from promoter Lou DiBella is a matchup of unbeaten heavyweights: Russian Magomed Abdusalmov, fighting out of Oxnard, Calif., against Jason Pettaway of Huntington, W.Va. Local light heavyweight Seanie Monaghan and junior middleweight Charlie Ota are also in action at the Theater at MSG.

A packed fight weekend starts with the finals of the Washington-area Golden Gloves at Sugar Ray Leonard Community Center in Palmer Park, Md. tonight. Top local prospects Michael Reed, Jerry Odom, D'Metrius Ballard, and David “Day Day” Grayton are among those in action this weekend. The winners will face the Virginia/Armed Forces Golden Gloves winners in the regional championships at Waldorf Community Center next weekend.

Welterweight Kell Brook takes his biggest step up to date tonight against Matthew Hatton in front of a hometown crowd Sheffield, England….welterweights Lee Purdy and Adnan Amar highlight the undercard…..gofightlive.tv will stream a card from Atlantic City featuring Farrah Ennis vs Dion Savage and junior middleweight prospect Glen Tapia…Antonio DeMarco defends his WBC lightweight belt in Los Mochis against Miguel Roman