I've been a huge fan of Sergio Martinez for quite a number of years now and feel that he is a definite HOFer, but not quite an ATG yet. He's a legit two weight world champion with victories over top opposition like Paul Williams, Julio Cesar Chavez and Kelly Pavlik (all of whom were in or around their primes) and excellent wins over very decent fighters like Kermit Cintron, Sergei Dzindiruk, Matthew Macklin, Darren Barker etc. He's been in the P4P top 3-5 (in most peoples opinions anyway) for around 3 or so years now and dominated the Middleweight division despite really being a Junior-Middleweight, fighting guys who have had obvious size advantages over him. The opposition is there for him. Future HOFers like Andre Ward, Miguel Cotto and Carl Froch aswell as up-and-comers like Saul Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Erislandy Lara all reside in and around his weight class. What do you think he needs to do to be recognised as an ATG, or do you already feel he's done enough?
:deal But come on beating Golovkin? Who the hell is Golovkin or who has he beat that would make him so special in his resume? It would be a decent win but not an spectacular win over an "ATG" (like everyone here on ESB make out Golov to be). I do agree that beating Mayweather @154 would help him alot. Also Ward @168 (but its just pushing Martinez's limit). I think those two (Mayweather and Ward) would put Martinez on the ATG list but it won't happen. Not Lara, Golovkin, Alvarez (unless he becomes a HOF or ATG too) or any other not named Ward/Maywether.
I agree. No hope of ATG but he's probably a HOFer. Good wins and a solid enough career and talent level to deserve a place in Canastota.
If Martinez wants to be an ATG he would have to move up to 168 and fight fighters like Froch and Wards and beat them. He did it with Williams and Pavlick but moving up to 168 will really move him up a notch.
Martinez, the small soccer player who took boxing serious at 20, who started his career at 147, yes weight drained but still a little guy. now beating top middleweights who weigh atleast 180+, i could even say 190, Julio looked huge man, and Martinez hung in there with him, and traded with him even though he went down. man, he could crack the ATG list, aint they all mythical lists anyway, which anyone can make, not everyone agrees. If people put Roy Jones Jr in an ATG list, then i dont see why Martinez after a few more fights maybe. <3 Sergio <3
Option 1: go bqck to 154 and beat Canelo and Floyd. Option 2: stay at 160 and beat Geale and Pirog to become undisputed middleweight champion of the universe.
He looked small against Chavez, I don't think Martinez should go up in weight. But I think he could go back to 154 easy enough, without any problem. Might even be better suited.
Martinez can make the hall of fame if he cleans out the division (which is at its weakest point in history) and beats some of the top 154 pounders, but he'll never be an all-time great.
The division is far from being at its weakest point in history. I can think of plenty of divisions in boxing that are far worse right now. To be frank the division was at a weaker point in the late 90s when B-hop was racking up meaningless title defense. Back then B-hops closest rivals were guys like Kieth Holmes, antwun Echoles, William Joppy, Howard Eastman and Glenn Johnson where the closest thing you could call rivals. Pirog, GGG, Sturm, Geale, JCC Jnr, Macklin and Quillin are a far more respectable group of contenders.
