Golovkin and Pirog didn't have to be big names, or bring in money. Martinez got more than a mil for guys like Dzinziruk, Macklin, and Barker. Stateside, those three were unknown, and two were not ranked period at 160 before the fights were signed.
Golovkin tried to get a fight with Martinez, but Martinez took a bigger money fight. Golovkin would have stopped him easily. Martinez, before his injuries was a damned good fighter!
Sergio was starving in Argentina and did come to Spain, the worst country in the world if you want to grow as a boxer. He was fighting for peanuts until 2007 when he found a promoter that brought him to the US. It's hard to found big fights for a guy without a fanbase without a top-dog promoter. He wins an interim title. The regular title is vacant since Vernon Forrest won it. "Draws" with Kermit Cintron in the BIGGEST ROBBERY I've seen on a boxing ring. Then gets a fight with Paul Williams and gets jobbed (Pierre Benoist: 110-119)... 2010 is his year: goes up to MW and wins against Pavlik, stops Williams with the KO of the year... Then the WBC allows Margarito and Pacquiao to fight for the vacant Super Welterweight title that was not available for Sergio (He would have been a two division world champion), and in addition strips him the MW WBC title in order to give it to JCCjr (the money maker of the MW division at this time). At this point (2011) Sergio is 36 years old, he has just brought his name to the US fans. The big moneymaker at this division is JCCjr who will duck him for two years. Pacquiao won the super welterweight belt, FMJr won the super welterweight title five years ago against Goldebn Boy, and will fight again for it on 2012, but Sergio does not put enough money on the table to bring big names there. At 2011 GGG has never been on America, holds the cheap WBA version of the belt and should be on line for fighting with Sturm. Nobody knew him out of the hardcore fans. Pirog only fight in the US was the 2010 Jacobs demolition. Sergio keeps calling JCCjr while he fights Dzinziruk (unknown but solid SW champion),Barker and Macklin (Top 10 MW by the Ring) and the fans are really demanding the fight JCCjr vs Maravilla, that is finally made on Sept 2012, some days after GGG first time on US (against Proksa). Here is where we could start talking about 'ducking'. GGG fights Rosado and Macklin while Sergio makes a big fight in his country against Murray, another Top10 brit who felt short. Sergio looks old in this fight, edges a close decision (I thought it was a draw), is 38 years old and his knees are ****ed. GGG is at the point where Maravilla was two years ago: he's made a name but still does not put enough money on the table to bring it big names. Maravilla is the big name in the division but is ****ing over the hill and wants to cash out. Cotto smells the blood... And here is where I blame Maravilla: His knees are ****ed, and still is selling us that he is able to fight. Ok, I understand that you are cashing out, you had a hard life and you are going to make your biggest pay, but cammon, you are going to lose the lineal medium belt against Cotto... for money. It was deceiving. End of the story.
Pure unadulterated bull feces. Martinez made - $1.4M against Chavez Jr on HBO PPV $1.5M against Migwell Cotto on HBO PPV. Both those fights were against big draws in the sport on PPV and he still only scrapped over $1M Dzinziruk wanted 750k against Martinez which was more than what Martinez was making againt better opponents. This content is protected Martinez was making peanuts against the Macklins and Barkers. GGG came calling when Sergio was 39 years old and walking around on leg. He would have got peanuts for that fight too. Nobody ever ducked Golovkin.
Macklin was on St Patrick's day in new York, majority of fans there were Irish he had a big backing and support in making that fight
Macklin was promoted by Dibella at the time, and the fight was on paddys day over there and aimed at all the plastics and irish americans. He would of got far more v Macklin than GGG or Pirog, far more !
I wouldn't either but Sergio knew he wasn't a draw, fighting Macklin on paddy's day in new York was so the irish would turn up and provide the revenue.
Total class act! He was my favorite fighter for a while. I loved how he made no excuses for the Cotto loss while his trainer was talking to everyone about the knee etc etc.. Good dude.. Wish he couldve fought a couple more times.
was my favorite fighter for years... i have no idea the timeline in which he was meant to fight GGG Before the Chavez fight Golovkin was only just making his american debut so there was no way HBO were putting up the money for the martinez fight and not a single soul was really calling for it after the chavez fight he was out for over a year rebuilding his knee had a homecoming fight and his knee was knackered once again by this time GGG biggest name was Ishida/Rosada while been signed upto fight macklin while nobody was asking for this fight Sergio was then out for another year and this was when GGG started to become a name in america running through the likes of macklin, stevens geale etc and then this was the only time fans were asking for a Martinez fight lets be honest after 2 knee reconstructions and pushing into your late thirties this fight would of been a massacre and not competitive at all... unless you really hated martinez why would you want to even watch this fight? You'd really struggle to even call this a duck as the window of opportunity was as small as it was
Its true that Cotto wanted no part of Golovkin but calling it a duck is like saying Pacquiao and Mayweather ducked too just because GGG called them out. Cotto fighting a one legged Martinez was just an opportunistic way of stealing a belt at a higher weight class. He never had any intention of fighting any MWs , never mind GGG and any sane person knew that. Its also like saying Roy Jones had an obligation to fight Lennox Lewis just cos he beat John Ruiz. GGG was the only MW who was shameful enough to chase and beg for a fight with Cotto. It was fairly pathetic in all honesty.