Sergio Martinez to have surgery on right knee

After seemingly going back and forth on the issue of whether or not to have surgery on his right knee, it appears that Sergio Martinez and his team have decided that it would be in his best interests to go ahead with the operation. The surgery will take place in Madrid, under the supervision of specialist Dr. Angel Villamor on November 12.

It was reported after his sensational victory of Chavez that he ruptured the meniscus in his right knee, and that it could require surgery. There was some hope that perhaps it wouldn't be necessary, but it appears it will be pertinent to getting Martinez as healthy as possible in order for him to continue his boxing career.

When surgery was first discussed in the immediacy after the Chavez fight, it was a bit worrisome. Martinez, for all of his physical gifts and talents, is 37 years old. A long layoff could spell doom for the undisputed middleweight champion. However, it appears that the layoff will be minimal, and Martinez plans to be back in action this coming March or April. Great news for a great fighter.

Nevertheless, something to speculate on is how much the surgery could effect him when he does return. I'm no medical expert, but I do wonder if there would be any lingering effects. Coming back in March or April would seem like a quick turnaround but, then again, professional athletes are different human beings from you and I. The right knee was something that was giving him problems for a while anyways, the knockdown in the final round of the Chavez fight only served to exacerbate it. Hopefully, this fixes the problem for good.

Martinez is at his most popular right now. He is coming off the biggest win of his career against Chavez, and in front ot a sizable pay-per-view crowd as well. Widely regarded as one of the top three or four boxers in the world, it would be a shame if his momentum were to be stalled as a result of this operation.

So here's to a quick, successful recovery to Sergio. Hope all goes well, and we see him back on our TVs in the spring.