Daniel Geale Discusses Sergio Martinez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

Daniel Geale has emerged as one of the top middleweight contenders in the last year, picking up the IBF middleweight title and twice successfully defending his title. Now, he looks to make the move to the United States and make a bigger name for himself on American soil, with a potential HBO fight later this year against Dmitry Pirog already discussed, and Geale saying that he's also willing to look at fights in Germany against Felix Sturm or the UK against Martin Murray.

With the WBO -- the governing body under which Pirog is "world champion -- resisting the idea of unification for their titlist, it's a pretty big question whether or not Geale (27-1, 15 KO) will really leave Australia and look for bigger fights. But in an interview at Fightnews.com, the 31-year-old Geale gave his thoughts on the division's two biggest names: Rightful champion Sergio Martinez and cash cow Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Your trainer Graham Shaw has stated WBC champ Julio Chavez Jr is underrated and an improving champion. Your thoughts on Chavez?

He does cop a bit of flak and is seen as a champion who is looked after. What I have seen he is a boxer who can punch a bit but I will be very confident of winning against him if ever we fight.

Chavez is currently slated to face Andy Lee on June 16, in a fight many feel will be his toughest to date, and a fight that his team has twice tried to avoid making. Fantasy odds on Chavez-Geale would be -- well, let's be honest, we have to assume it's neutral ground and not, like, Texas. Chavez is big and strong, but his conditioning kind of sucks, which I would use as a reason to take a pointless shot at Alex Ariza and his genius program, but Chavez gets fat between fights, so what hope would Ariza have anyway?

If Chavez were in shape, he could legitimately beat Geale on muscle and workrate. If he weren't, Geale's plenty good enough a boxer to handle Chavez.

Sergio Martinez, who does not hold a world title is regarded as number one, and you are rated number two. Do you agree he deserves to be rated number one middleweight?

I guess he does deserve to be rated number one because of the big name fighters he has defeated. His ability and explosive style is highly regarded but at 37 years he is getting older and I am confident I have the style to defeat him. It would be a great fight to watch. Against Barker and Macklin he showed he is beatable.

Daniel Geale is not good enough to beat Sergio Martinez in a boxing match.