Lee vs Martinez back on, HBO reject Zbik

Marginal. People will be watching for Martinez. The fight is not so HUGE that you should go out of your way to make it which is what there doing.

but in the long run it does nothing for boxing. Martinez defending against a top 10 fighter and HBO buying it because its a lineal champion defending against a top 10 fighter sends out a message to everyone else on boxing that if your a lineal champion defending against highly ranked guys you will get HBO money.

Also where are all the top fighters in the division based. Europe, predominately Germany. If he wants to unify, build up a fight with Sturm and Sylvester by beating a german fighter. the Zbik fight would be shown on German TV, he can call them out in his interview.

Its Martinez you gotta feel sorry for. He was WBC champion at light middle. persuaded to stay at 160lbs. HBO obviously have influence on that decision. but when he wants to defend his title against a top 10 fighter who is his mandatory they say no.

Martinez should move back to 154lbs thats where the fights are. If his 2011 consists off fighting Lee, Cotto at 155lbs and Cintron at 157lbs for the lineal title its just crap. Go to 154 and fight Dzinziruk then Cotto and Cintron for the Light Middleweight title. Then in 2012 guys like Lemiuex, Guererro, Pirog and even Andy Lee are bigger names with better records.

 

thats your opinion thats not shared by several boxing websites. Boxing Site have Zbik lower than most places.

 

Zbik has been interim title holder for 18 months. They will strip Martinez if the fight doesn't happen.

It may be BS from the WBC but Martinez will then defend his ring title, and HBO will bang on about the terrible WBC from stripping him, ignoring the fact thaey got him stripped by not allowing him to fight his mandatory who is ranked higher than andy lee by the ring.

 

So HBO should say there strategy is to make fights between name fighters.

The audience has only heard off Mayweather and Pacquiao. Go to times square and ask 100 guys who Tim Bradley or Devon Alexander are and no more than 5 will know. So does it matter if nobody knows who Zbik is?

Have a preview show, or a weekly magazine show with highlights from around the world.

On March 5th HBO are showing Viacheslav Senchenko vs Saul Alvarez. What does that tell you?

 

it will be the other way round as Zbik will be the WBC champion.

 

Martinez vs Ricardo Mayorga would get more viewers. Haye vs Harrison got 700,000 buys.

 

fair enough but HBO will buy worse fights this year.