Could Sergio Martinez be a top 10 contender in 40s or 50s

Graziano sucked. Can we all agree Martinez would blow him out of the water outside some freak punch.

The only thing I will say is that, while Martinez is colorful and flashy fighter with a swagger that sort of reminds me of Locche (Another Argentinian fighter). Of course, I'm speaking swagger not skills. With all said, he's quite hittable. Even against his last fight against a stale, but technically strong fighter. Martinez can time, and does adapt well. But it's hard to get off or set traps when you're buying bullied, out-boxed, or completely taken out of your comfort zone. Something many of the past 40's-50's had the ability to do.

 

Sergio Martinez would get annihilated by Jake Lamotta and Dick Tiger. Let's be real. I have my doubts if Martinez could beat Laszlo Papp or Eduardo Lausse.

 

Yes, that's why I made the comparison. In this day an age it's the norm. Graziano has the weakest resume of all the old-timers mentioned in this thread, but not unlike most the modern "champions".

 

Maybe Martinez "sucks" too.
I give him credit enough for being a solid enough professional middleweight I think he'd have been a contender in a better era, but what has he done to be considered anything remotely special ?
It's just pure hype.

 

I think among this crop, he has proven to be special by how he's won his last three fights against championship-level names and the fact that he became champion at 35 with what I can only think of as a young man's style. I think he's only after Pac, May and Nonito in terms of quality right now, and they're very, very high quality fighters, which I hope is obvious to everyone, even if they don't like it.

Of course, I also think it's far too late for him to likely hold any high place in history, and can't face an opponent to ultimately prove how good he is because the opponents aren't there... but I think he's a special natural talent anyway. I think he could've been or may possibly even still be considered great by the time he retires. I would actually give him a fair chance against Ward , Froch, etc, if he moved up. Perhaps a 40% chance. I think this is a guy with the physical ability and intelligence to give good fights to the top ten middles in whatever era. Not necessarily win against the best, but I don't think he's an easy go for most. But, you have to remember the information I mentioned in my last post here also. It's something that guys like Hagler didn't have.

 

To be fair, he can compete with most of the guys on that list and if they are all fighting together, Martinez is going to beat afew of them. I'd say Martinez can make his name as a contender in the era.

 

Charley Burley would beat Martinez.

 

Well, tell that to guys like Carmen Basilio and Tony Zale!

Technically MUCH less solid.

We've also seen a marginally inferior version of Martinez lose to Margarito who has one of the most embarrassing skillsets to ever grace a world stage.

Is there really an argument that Paul Williams, Kelly Pavlik and Serhiy Dzinziruk are superior fighters to the likes of Holman Williams, Tony Zale, George Abrams? I mean, really?

Is beating the guys Martinez has beat more of a feat than beating the likes of Tony Zale, Tony Janiro, Charley Fusari, Harold Green, Marty Servo, Freddie Cochrane, Al Bummy Davis?

How would we talk about Basilio? Probably as the guy that beat Billy Graham, Gil Turner, Johnny Saxton, Tony Demarco, Don Jordan, Art Aragon, Gaspar Ortega, Pierre Langlois and lost a split dec to the great Kid Gavilan that many thought he won.

How would we talk about Gene Fullmer? Probably as the guy that beat Carmen Basilio, Gil Turner, Charles Humez, Florentino Fernandez, Spider Webb, Benny Paret, Ralph Tiger Jones, Rocky Castellani and held his own with Dick Tiger and Joey Giardello.

**** I tells ya!