http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...rtinez.darren.barker/index.html?sct=mma_t2_a8 Thoughts?? Unfortunate Sergio can't get a bigger fight than this! At his age and at his peak in popularity he needs to get the right fights. This isn't one of them
Barker is a joke. He's a crap fighter who has been going along fighting tons of tomato cans. He's gonna be exposed by Martinez.
He got used to it. Wasn't many options either, HBO went for the cheap one instead of investing in Martinez a little who's on the verge of becoming a true star, but the fights that would make him are unavailable. Of course DiBella acts like an ass, but if you know the kind of 'negotiations' he's been through (being tossed around), you'd be a nerve wreck too. At the end of the day Martinez simply fights the best MW prospect available and waiting patiently for better things to come like he always have been. That's what people don't seem to understand. After a full decade of being avoided and screwed left and right, he won't lose sleep over his titles being stripped, his paydays being cut, fight weight changing left and right, be the 'opponent' in the promotion, all the big names turning away or 'fans' accusing him with all kinds of BS. Off season he does charity off camera and while he doesn't make the world a better place, he's happy to help it not getting worse.
It's nice when you can do some cherry-picking and cherry-popping all at once. I kid, I kid. :yep Maravilla is one of my favorites and obviously the last person who could be accused of cherry picking after his run of late... (although this is a wee bit of a This content is protected ...)
I actually like DiBella. He can be alright most of the time when he's not pissed off. I know he's used to being on the short end of the stick. But unlike 18 months ago, Martinez is now a premier name in boxing. The sport is finally taking notice of him, and it's now when his patience is supposed to pay off. I'd like him to make easy work of whatever middleweights are available, and then have a shot at the super middleweights. If he's successful, only then will he have a good shout at knocking Pac and Mayweather from their P4P slots.
I mean....he could have faced a better opponent. But this option makes sense b/c he can get a bigger slice of the pie and he doesn't have much risk in his opponent.
Well he's getting boxing's honest treatment following all the great performances: organizations stripping him to make way to their future sanctioning fee payers, HBO giving his Summer date to a guy he KTFO and failing to invest in exciting foreign opposition, 'fans' holding opponents' lack of fighting spirit against him but he's not bitching. And he shouldn't, he's P4P#2, the best ambassador for boxing with all the charity work and humble persona and he's sure to enter the HOF, that in this hostile atmosphere is quite outstanding. Regarding DiBella, I think he's taking it too personally. Martinez had to calm him down by repeating 'I'm gonna take care of Williams don't worry' because he was close to a genuine nervous breakdown, and acted like a total tool when Sergio indeed KTFO Paul. What I don't get is why the network so hostile toward him, he worked for HBO after all and probably knows more about the business than 90% of the rival promoters. But he never built up a huge stable, not sure if it was lack of talent or willingness, but he's truly cares about his fighters, which Arum or King would say is hurting business. Bob would throw Pacquiao in a pit if it was profitable while Don King makes more money by counter-suing all the ripped off fighters than by promoting. Professional boxing is NOT in good health and the Martinez situation is the very evidence of it. What more should he do to get the biggest names?
Barker (23-0) was not DiBella's first choice. DiBella made offers to middleweight titleholders Felix Sturm, Daniel Geale and Julio Cesar Chavez along with Miguel Cotto and Paul Williams. Each declined. :think