Oscar De La Hoya vs Sergio Martinez at 154

I think if either wants to make a comeback they should take this fight. Both big names who are past it.

 

Prime for prime Martinez knocks him out

 

At 154 I'd say Oscar, at 160 Martinez sat on his punches a bit more and would discourage Oscar.

 

Martinez too big, reachy and fast for ODLH

 

Assuming we're talking about the best versions of each other at 154, or even a MW Martinez loses by KO when Oscar's rocket left hook lands cleaner, faster, and stronger than he has ever been hit with.

 

De la hoya by decision.

 

Great fight. I'd say if both were at their respective peaks, it's a 50/50 fight.

Martinez had such an unusual style compared to Oscar's more classical form of boxing. It's hard to say how that fight would play out. I could see Oscar outworking him with his jab, and I could also see Martinez forcing the action and countering him with some big shots.

Great H2H matchup. It never crossed my mind.

 

Wowww Martinez is being severly underrated here since he lost to Cotto. Now he's a glass chinned bum who would crumble against a Paulie Malignaggi power punch. He only really lost twice in his career, once when he was green against a more developed Margarito at the time who could have been potentially cheating, and once against Cotto when he was old, past his prime, and crippled (don't count the first Paul Williams fight, I thought he won that). His body clearly looked softer than usual and he showed signs of slowing down in his previous few fights, taking much more punches than he used to.

Now, Oscar was a good 154 pounder. He KO'd Vargas, KO'd Mayorga, arguably beat Mosley, and gave Mayweather a very good fight. But I still can't see how his power at 154 can hurt a prime Martinez, who has taken punches from Kelly Pavlik, Kermit Cintron, and Paul Williams (not the biggest puncher, but he did take a lot of very good solid shots against him). Only person to really hurt him at or near his best was a 180lb+ Chavez Jr. I also don't see how a 154 Martinez could hurt even a 154 Oscar, who I believe has one of the best chins ever, I have seriously never seen the man on shaky legs after a punch to the head.

But I think Sergio would beat him in a close but clear fight. Oscar has no right hand to use against him, and even though he was hit and hurt by a bunch of left hooks from Cotto, he had no defense for them as his reflexes and footwork was non-existant. Sergio also has better stamina than Oscar, better legs for moving over 12 rounds and he can rally late better than Oscar could. I believe Oscar would have a hard time landing his trademark left hook against a Martinez who constantly backs away or spins off to his right. Saying "if little Cotto could land against Martinez's low guard with left hooks, then a prime Oscar could as well" is like saying Roy Jones is vulnerable to looping left hands(Tarver) or straight right hands(Johnson) because his guard is low. Then why didn't any southpaws or good right hand puncher's punch over his low guard any time from 1990 to 2004? You can't really judge a fighter on how he performed when he was injured or old.

Close fight, but I think it would play out early rounds for Sergio maybe Oscar nicks one or two, mid rounds Oscar looks a little better when Sergio takes his patented mid-fight break, and then Sergio rallies from round 8 onwards to sweep away the rest of the fight. Don't see either fighter really getting hurt.

 

Martinez cause he could actually beaet legit middleweights. he was a ideal 154er while dlh would be a blown up 147er.

 

chins
ricardo mayorga > sergio martinez

power
oscar de la hoya > miguel cotto/antonio margarito

skill
oscar de la hoya > miguel cotto/antonio margarito