It's been a heck of a ride recently for Sergio Martinez, who was first scheduled to fight Joe Greene on Jan. 17, then Daniel Santos on Feb. 14, then Santos wanted a March date, and now Lou DiBella says a deal has been reached for Martinez to fight former welterweight titlist Kermit Cintron on Feb. 14. The fight means that HBO will keep a solid tripleheader on that date, combining Martinez-Cintron with Ricardo Mayorga-Alfredo Angulo and Nate Campbell-Ali Funeka.
Boxing Scene got word from DiBella about the fight.
For the big-punching Cintron (30-2, 27 KO), this fight represents a chance to put his second loss to Antonio Margarito behind him, as he successfully did after his first defeat at Margarito's hands in 2005. While some seem to believe that Cintron will just never be a truly top-tier guy, I think the 154-pound division is absolutely wide open for a puncher of his caliber. He will always struggle against a guy like Margarito, who walks through shots without acknowledging they've landed and fires back some real thunder of his own. Kermit just isn't cut out to beat Antonio Margarito, but you have to admire his guts, as he's said he'd fight him for a third time. Well, you could admire his guts or think he's out of his gourd.
Martinez (44-1-1, 24 KO) will be defending his interim WBC junior middleweight title, and looking to press harder for a fight with full WBC titlist Vernon Forrest. Even though Cintron is the man coming up in weight from 147 to 154, Martinez will have no major size advantage. Both men are 5'11", and Martinez has a two-inch advantage in reach (76" to 74").
Cintron last fought in November, banging out what was described as a dreadfully dull decision win over ex-140 pound titlist Lovemore N'dou on the off-TV portion of the Taylor-Lacy card in Nashville. Martinez has been out of the ring since manhandling Alex Bunema in October.
Don King, the Feb. 14 show's main promoter, has still yet to find a venue for the event. Hey, Don -- you realize it's January, right?