If Martinez does very well against Pavlik but loses, whom should he fight next?

Why the exception? It's the obvious fight if Pavlik beats him.

 

i clicked on this thread while having my hand on the keyboard ready to type "Williams"

 

I like the idea of a Cotto-Martinez match-up, but it would require Cotto to demonstrate that he can operate effectively at Jr-Middle first. I think the jury's out on whether Cotto can still do it at the moment. If he's lost the old aggression after Margarito and Pac, then it could risk being a stinker; to be a good fight it would require Cotto aggressively boxing and Martinez counter-punching, but if it results in the two of them counterpunching it could turn into a borefest.

 

I've always liked Miguel but I'm very cynical that at this point in his career, he can not only turn it around but do so effectively against either mover like Foreman or Martinez. Maybe I'm not giving him enough credit but I just cannot picture him against the elite 154-pounders.

 

Well, that was why I said I liked the idea; I have a number of doubts about the reality.

I agree with you, but I'm not going to write him off completely just yet. I don't think he's showed much in the way of good signs since Margo (Clottey's showing against Pac has had me sort-of reassessing the Clottey-Cotto fight, too). The only possible upside is that he may have reached the point where cutting to 147 wasn't doing him any favours and the climb to 154 might actually help him a bit. Like you, I'm not sure on that and, as mentioned, the jury's still out.

I guess we'll know more after the Foreman bout.

 

I'll be pulling for him. It doesn't seem like a good match-up for a trainer but maybe Steward will click with him and help. Foreman gets a lot of flack but as much as I can't stand his style (from what I've seen of him) I think he's very legit, smart and talented. Not a weak titlist ripe for the picking by anyone wanting to move up in weight.

 

If he makes a name for himself at Middleweight against Pavlik - after the fight he just had with Williams. He should fight Sturm and take his belt - that lines him up for a rematch and unification fight with either Williams or Pavlik. It's not like there are many names to be thrown around at that weight. I think a fight with Cotto is stupid.

 

I don't think Williams will fight Pavlik even with the pressure from HBO being applied. They know Kelly will be going up to SMW soon and can just flap their jaws that they chased Kelly out of the division because he was afraid to fight Paul.

 

He should see if he can beat a top ten fighter in his own division.

 

Strange thing is William's was trying to get a rematch with him at 160 pounds. Why would Williams/Martinez have been contested at that weight when Paul claimed he was going back to 147? Cintron offered to do that fight there. Martinez has a belt at 154. Why did he want the rematch at 160? None of this make sense, but what is "his own division" if he wanted the Williams rematch at 160?