Diamond in the rough:Martinez may not defend WBC title
By Jonny Stapleton
A certain amount of gloss could be taken off Matthew Macklin’s mega fight with Sergio Martinez after the Argentine revealed may no longer defend his WBC Diamond title.
‘Mack the Knife’ has been given the chance to prove he can cut it at the very top against the best middleweight on the planet, but looks likely to be denied the chance to fulfil his world title dream.
It’s unfortunate news for the Irish middleweight considering he was robbed of the WBA title after he wasn’t afforded victory against Felix Sturm in Germany. It seems now politics might deny him a second shot at a belt.
The pound for pound world number three is upset with the governing body after they made him mandatory for Top Rank cash cow Julio Chavez Junior and then allowed the Mexican take a February clash with Marco Antonio Rubio.
The postponement of the Chavez Jr. clash did pave the way for Macklin to challenge the 36 year old super star, but it also seems to have denied him the chance to claim a coveted world crown.
“I’m not planning to defend the WBC Diamond belt anymore,” Martinez claimed. “I won’t ever represent the WBC ever again. They won’t honor their own agreement. I hate the cowardly nature that Chavez Jr. I never thought a world champion could avoid someone this way.”
There remains plenty at stake for the all action former Tipperary minor hurler as a win over his DiBella promotions stable mate will propel him into the pound for pound reckoning.
Indeed so eager is Macklin to secure victory he has started training for the St Patrick’s Day card, which could also include Andy Lee, Carl Frampton, Eamonn O’Kane and possibly Paul McCloskey, already.
“I have started training already and by March 17 I will be in the best shape of my career,” Macklin revealed. This is my chance. I have the utmost respect for Martinez he is one of the best in the world pound for pound, but I am bigger and stronger than him.”
