HBO pushing for a Sergio Martinez vs Paul Williams rematch

In his most recent victory in April at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs) dethroned 28-year-old WBC and WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 knockouts) in front of Pavlik's fans despite being outweighed ,178 to 167, by fight time and facing a perceived disadvantage in power.

Prior to Pavlik, Martinez took a nearly 10-year, unbeaten mark of 28-0-1, with 18 knockouts into a disputed, December majority decision loss to former three-time titlist, Paul Williams (39-1, 27 KOs) in a clash of southpaws and a Fight of the Year candidate during which each boxer was floored in the first round.

In return, Martinez, who also still owns the WBC junior middleweight and middleweight belts, has been offered only a bout with Williams by HBO as an alternative, according to his promoter Lou DiBella.

"If Paul goes to 147, then, obviously, there is no fight that can be made. But I don't believe that Paul Williams is afraid of Sergio. And I've got to tell you -- and I said this right after the fight in Atlantic City -- that I don't really want that fight now. But ultimately, I don't have a choice what fight the networks will choose," said DiBella.

"But I don't want that fight. My guy has fought three giants in a row -- Kermit Cintron, Paul Williams and Kelly Pavlik. So I don't think that he should have to fight Paul Williams again," said DiBella. "Not only that, clearly, clearly, the two best fighters in the world at 154, and, 160, are Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams."

DiBella would like to see Martinez against unbeaten, 24-year-old Vanes Martirosyan (28-0, 17 KOs), 27-year-old WBO interim junior middleweight king, Alfredo Angulo (18-1, 15 KOs), or WBA middleweight champ, Felix Sturm (33-2-1, 14 KOs).

"There's a whole talent pool at 154 and 160. There's Angulo, there's Martirosyan, there's Miguel Cotto, there's Shane Mosley," said DiBella. "I mean, why shouldn't these guys -- Serio Martinez and Paul Williams -- get an opportunity to clean out the division of other guys who are considered the best before fighting each other again? Why have them fight each other again, so that the two of the best guys in two division can knock each other off again? Why should an Angulo be exempt from fighting the best? Why should Cotto be? Why is Martirosyan on HBO's World Championship boxing if he's not good enough to fight the best?"

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=28444

Good fight. Of course I have no proiblem with Sergio and Paul taking a payday fight first. They are both doing all we can ask.

dibella makes some great points..i doubt very much hbo will turn down a cotto-martinez fight nor sturm or angullo..dibella should immediately attempt to make one of thoses fights and hbo will go along..

Problem is Marble, Paul wants to waste time going back to Welterweight next, so it's not going to happen.

Ali_1748 wrote:

Problem is Marble, Paul wants to waste time going back to Welterweight next, so it's not going to happen.

Yeah but if Williams can get a fight with a Berto or someone like that? I'm not going to complain.

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

Problem is Marble, Paul wants to waste time going back to Welterweight next, so it's not going to happen.

Yeah but if Williams can get a fight with a Berto or someone like that? I'm not going to complain.

You know that's not going to happen, no Welterweight should step in the ring with that scared Middleweight.

Ali_1748 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

Problem is Marble, Paul wants to waste time going back to Welterweight next, so it's not going to happen.

Yeah but if Williams can get a fight with a Berto or someone like that? I'm not going to complain.

You know that's not going to happen, no Welterweight should step in the ring with that scared Middleweight.

??????????? huh?

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

Problem is Marble, Paul wants to waste time going back to Welterweight next, so it's not going to happen.

Yeah but if Williams can get a fight with a Berto or someone like that? I'm not going to complain.

You know that's not going to happen, no Welterweight should step in the ring with that scared Middleweight.

??????????? huh?

I think Paul needs to accept the fact he's a Middleweight/Jr Middleweight and stop wasting time trying fight Welterweights that have no interest in him.

Yeah but if Williams can get a fight with a Berto or someone like that? I'm not going to complain.[/quote]...i agree.rest assured if williams goes to 147 it will be against a top welter.

I would have no problem with Paul fighting Welterweights if he stayed in the division, but he vacated his trinket and fought Middleweights double the size of Pacquiao. He's clearly too big for the division now.

I am probably in the minority with my view.

Ali_1748 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

Problem is Marble, Paul wants to waste time going back to Welterweight next, so it's not going to happen.

Yeah but if Williams can get a fight with a Berto or someone like that? I'm not going to complain.

You know that's not going to happen, no Welterweight should step in the ring with that scared Middleweight.

??????????? huh?

I think Paul needs to accept the fact he's a Middleweight/Jr Middleweight and stop wasting time trying fight Welterweights that have no interest in him.

Geeze, silly me. I thought if a guy could make weight that's what matterred.

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

Problem is Marble, Paul wants to waste time going back to Welterweight next, so it's not going to happen.

Yeah but if Williams can get a fight with a Berto or someone like that? I'm not going to complain.

You know that's not going to happen, no Welterweight should step in the ring with that scared Middleweight.

??????????? huh?

I think Paul needs to accept the fact he's a Middleweight/Jr Middleweight and stop wasting time trying fight Welterweights that have no interest in him.

Geeze, silly me. I thought if a guy could make weight that's what matterred.

He might be able to make the weight Marble but no Welterweight will fight him, he's wasting his youth. All of his advisors and promoters should be sacked.

Ali_1748 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

Ali_1748 wrote:

Problem is Marble, Paul wants to waste time going back to Welterweight next, so it's not going to happen.

Yeah but if Williams can get a fight with a Berto or someone like that? I'm not going to complain.

You know that's not going to happen, no Welterweight should step in the ring with that scared Middleweight.

??????????? huh?

I think Paul needs to accept the fact he's a Middleweight/Jr Middleweight and stop wasting time trying fight Welterweights that have no interest in him.

Geeze, silly me. I thought if a guy could make weight that's what matterred.

He might be able to make the weight Marble but no Welterweight will fight him, he's wasting his youth. All of his advisors and promoters should be sacked.

Well and if he can't get a fight at welter, ok. But if he can? Fine by me. BTW I love that term "sacked."

Who at welter will fight PW. Pac-NO. Mayweather-NO. Berto-probably not.

Nobody at Welterweight wants Paul Williams, that's why I don't understand why his team turned down rematches with Sergio Martinez,Kermit Cintron and declined the Sergei D fight.

So true, who at welter will fight him??? If you manage Pac, Floyd, Berto, etc..., would you have them fight PW? NO.

All of them could make more money fighting other opponents.

The fighters mentioned by Ali: martinez, Cintron, and D. Those guys a PW fight makes sense as that is probably the biggest fight each can get at this point.

He really does have a poor team guiding him. Dan Goosen hasn't even bothered to build a fanbase for Paul in South Carolina, Al Haymon must be telling him fibs about landing Welterweight paydays, and George Peterson hasn't taught Paul to use his reach,size and keep out of range.

Williams was very fortunate to get wins in his last 2 decisions, yet he doesn't seem too eager to give either a rematch. Most feared man in boxing indeed.

Ali_1748 wrote:

He really does have a poor team guiding him. Dan Goosen hasn't even bothered to build a fanbase for Paul in South Carolina, Al Haymon must be telling him fibs about landing Welterweight paydays, and George Peterson hasn't taught Paul to use his reach,size and keep out of range.

....all very good points ali..yes outside pac n floyd wheres the big money for paul at welterweight..theres decent money for him at 154 160 even at 147 if somebody there says yes..thats all he can expect..thats still a lot of money..do thses guys forget where they came from..williams needs fine tuning on his flaws and there are some big ones..

Ali_1748 wrote:

Nobody at Welterweight wants Paul Williams, that's why I don't understand why his team turned down rematches with Sergio Martinez,Kermit Cintron and declined the Sergei D fight.

Maybe because the one advantage he has against people is his size. Against bigger competition that advantage goes away. What I'm saying is that he might not feel as confident against 5'10"- 6' Jr Middleweights and Middleweights. Just a thought.