Weekend Preview: Maravilla!

The 29-year-old middleweight is by all accounts an excellent professional boxer. He’s unbeaten after 23 fights, owns both the Commonwealth and European titles and is clearly one of the bravest men in the sport. Or one of the most foolish.

Since we have nothing but respect for fighters we prefer to aspire Barker’s decision to challenge middleweight champion Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City on HBO Saturday night to courage, despite the fact he’s listed as a 9 to 1 underdog and isn’t even ranked by Ring Magazine at 160 lbs. At least he’ll take the fight.

After watching Maravilla make mincemeat of Paul Williams and Serhiy Dzinziruk, credible opponents at middle and junior middleweight haven’t exactly been lining up. That could be because there really aren’t any credible opponents for Martinez. Unless you move up to 168 lbs., we seriously doubt there’s anyone that can challenge the late-blooming Argentine. Even it technically requires holding all four major belts and he currently owns none, Martinez is the closest thing we have to an undisputed champion in the sport.

Calls for Martinez to fight the likes of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. or Margarito are sadistic. Martinez has no business in the ring with anyone not at their absolute peak form. His left hand should be registered as a lethal weapon. So what should be done about it? Exactly what his promoter Lou DiBella has been doing. Keep him busy against the best opposition you can find. He’s 36 and not going to grow any younger while waiting for proper opposition to develop.

Which brings us to tomorrow night’s fight at Boardwalk Hall, which yours truly will be covering from ringside for both Stiff Jab and The Queensberry Rules. We’re going to see Maravilla, plain and simple. Expect a knockout, likely in the middle to later rounds because Sergio likes to play with his supper before he puts them out of their misery. Maravilla will probably keep Barker on the outside and jab early on, but expect to see those lead lefts fired with his hands held low once things get cooking.

Barker will hopefully recover to greater domestic appreciation and another shot at the world stage. Someone else, perhaps Peter Quillin or Saul Alvarez, will prepare themselves to answer the bell a few months from now. And we’ll do our best to be there. Sometimes instead of worrying about what might be, it’s best to just sit back and appreciate how lucky we are to have the chance to watch a fighter of such quality in the prime of his career.

The Martinez-Barker undercard features an excellent supporting middleweight bout between site favorite Irish Andy Lee and veteran brawler Brian Vera. Both are looking to get into the world title picture and neither is known for caring much about defense. Other highlights: light heavyweight and Malawi native Isaac Chilemba, recently signed by promoter Lou DiBella, will take on Jameson Bostic in a bout scheduled for eight and super middleweight prospect J'Leon Love out of the metro Detroit area will take on Eddie Hunter in a six-rounder.

ShoBox tonight features “Smokin Joe” Olusegun (29-0, 14 KOs) against Ali “The Angel” Chebah (35-1, 28 KOs) at 140 lbs in a WBC eliminator from Santa Ynez, Calif. The co-feature pairs unbeaten Darley Perez (22-0, 17 KOs) and Oscar “El Dorado” Meza (22-4, 18 KOs) in a 10-round lightweight bout.

Welterweights Ray Robinson and Manuel Guzman will headline a card at the National Guard Armory in Philadelphia, Penn. tonight promoted by 22-year-old Temple student Brittany Rogers of Bam Boxing.

JuanMa Lopez will return to action in his native Puerto Rico against Hartford’s Mike Oliver in a 12-round featherweight bout. Lopez is said to be eyeing a rematch with WBO titlist Orlando Salido, who stopped him in April. Undercard includes Rocky Martinez against Daniel Attah at junior lightweight.

Philly native Steve Cunningham wisely realized his boxing skill at cruiserweight would never be appreciated in the States and high-tailed it for Germany, where he will defend his IBF belt against Yoan Pablo Hernandez on Saturday night on the undercard of a European middleweight title bout between former IBF titlist Sebastian Sylvester and Poland’s Grzegorz Proksa. Karo Murat will fight Spain’s Gabriel Campillo in a rematch of a close 2008 that Murat won by majority decision.

Finally Toskiaki Nishioka will defend his WBC junior feather belt Saturday night against Rafael Marquez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas; Fox Deportes will televise the bout. Marquez is likely a bit shopworn after his four wars with Israel Vasquez but he remains a courageous and exciting fighter like his brother.  The co-feature has undefeated WBA light flyweight beltholder Roman Gonzalez (29-0, 24 KOs) of Nicaragua defending his title against Mexico’s Omar Soto (22-8-1, 15 KOs). The undercard will also feature two locals: super bantamweight Jesse Magdalano (5-0, 3 KOs) and super lightweight Anthony Lenk (12-1, 6 KOs) in six-round bouts.