HARD-SELLING SERGIO MARTINEZ
By Manny Piñol
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 15 Mar 2011
Hard-selling is the term used in the marketing world when salesmen and promotions agents try very hard to package and sell an ordinary product to the point of turning off prospective buyers.
Suggestions that Argentinian world light middleweight "Diamond Belt" champion Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez (47 wins (26 KOs) 2 losses, 1 by KO) has bested Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao as the Best Boxer Pound For Pound would be the perfect example of "hard-selling."
But this brazen act of peddling the story that Martinez, 36 years old and 5' 10", deserves to be No. 1 Pound For Pound, and not Pacquiao, simply because he knocked out Paul Williams (the boxer, not the singer) and recently Serhiy Dzinziruk (Dzinziruk who?) is no longer just viewed by many as a simple marketing strategy.
It borders on blasphemy and an insult to the intelligence of boxing fans the world over.
It also belittles the achievements of Pacquiao, to include the inactive Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and could actually scratch the racial sensibilities of the colored people.
Martinez is good, there is no debate about that. But is he as good as Manny Pacquiao? Do his achievements in the ring support the idea that he should be the Pound For Pound King and not the eight division boxing champion from Asia, specifically The Philippines?
What is the quality of Martinez's opponents over the last 14 years compared to the boxers that Pacquiao and even Mayweather faced inside the ring over that same period?
Simply put, what are the criteria in the selection of the Best Boxer Pound For Pound? Is it the achievement inside the ring or the color of the skin?
Let us put things in their proper perspective and discuss this controversy over who should own the mythical P4P Crown.
First, let us talk about achievements in the ring.
Manny Pacquiao, now 32, (52 wins, 38 KOs; 3 losses, 2 by KO) won his first world title in a foreign land knocking out in the 8th round Thailand's Chatchai Sasakul 12 years ago and has succeeded in annexing eight (seven according to some) more titles in different weight categories.
There is no other boxer in the history of this brutal and bloody sport who could come close to that feat.
And Sergio Martinez? He did not win a legitimate world title until April 17, 2010 outpointing Kelly Pavlik for the World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Council Middleweight title.
He defended this only once, knocking out previous conqueror Paul Williams by knockout in November last year.
Last week, he fought for the vacant WBC Diamond Middleweight title with an 8th round demolition of Serhiy Dzinziruk. Of course, everybody understands that the Diamond title is not the "regular" championship but one of the many junior belts offered to fighters who have no other boxing crowns to vie for.
Second, let us discuss the quality of the opponents.
Since winning his first regional title, the Orient Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) flyweight title 14 years ago, Manny Pacquiao has not fought an opponent with ridiculous boxing records, much less fighters with more than 10 losses in their fight resume`.
He made an electrifying entrance into the American boxing scene as a last minute substitute for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight championship against Lehlohonolo Ledwaba who had a record of 33 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw before the fight.
Pacquiao knocked out Ledwaba in the 6th and rolled over quality opposition including Marco Antonio Barrera before suffering a decision defeat from the hands of Erik Morales. He avenged that loss though when he knocked out Morales twice in their succeeding bouts.
The list of Pacquiao's victims over the last 14 years looks like the directory of Who's Who in boxing - Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez (which is of course disputed by Marquez himself), David Diaz, Oscar dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito and now Shane Mosley.
Of course, some of these fighters were already past their prime when they met Pacquiao in the ring but nobody could question their quality as opponents inside the ring.
Compare that to the opponents that Martinez faced during the last 14 years.
The only names of note that he fought were Kermit Cintron (draw), Paul Williams (losing by decision in the first and winning by knockout in the second fight), Kelly Pavlik (decision) and Serhiy Dzinziruk last week.
Oh yes, 10 years ago, he fought Antonio Margarito, the same fighter who was mauled to a pulp by Pacquiao. Martinez lost that fight by knockout.
Over the last 14 years, Martinez's fights included such laughable match-ups with obvious cannon fodders like Anselmo Moreno Gamboa (8 wins, 12 losses) in 2002 and an incredible return bout three years later when Gamboa's record improved to 12 wins, 23 losses and 2 draws; Miguel Angel Perez (11 wins, 10 losses, 1 draw) in 2003;
Presente Brito (11 wins, 14 losses, 3 draws) 2006; Vasile Surcica (13 wins, 24 losses, 2 draws) 2006; Oliver Tchinda (1 win, 7 losses, 2 draws) 2006; Pavel Florin Madalin (3 wins, 34 losses, 2 draws) 2007; and other unknown fighters like Enrique Areco (40 wins, 13 losses, 7 draws); Elbio Gonzales (15 wins, 8 losses, 2 draws); Adrian Danef (25 wins, 15 losses, 2 draws); Silvio Rojas twice (26 wins, 23 losses, 3 draws) and again when Rojas record improved to 27 wins, 25 losses, 4 draws, and Jose Perez (17 wins, 13 losses).
Even as late as 2008, when Manny Pacquiao was already trading mitts with the best in sport, Martinez was still fighting the likes of Archak Termiliksetian (16 wins, 6 losses) and David Toribio (14 wins, 10 losses).
Now, after scoring two admittedly sensational wins, albeit against fighters who still have a lot to prove in the ring, Martinez and his handlers are calling out on Manny Pacquiao.
Martinez and his handlers have conveniently forgotten Antonio Margarito, who to my mind should be the Argentinian's first assignment if he really desires to convince boxing fans that he deserves to be Number 1. They call that selective amnesia.
Of course, Martinez and his handlers know that Pacquiao, much more his promoter Bob Arum, will not bite because of obvious physical and financial reasons.
But Martinez's handlers see that as a two-horned gambit: if Pacquiao takes the challenge, it is going to be a big payday for a fighter whose career has been built on opponents with number of defeats greater than their biological age; if Pacquiao ignores the dare, then they could claim that the Filipino boxing icon chickened out.
If Pacquiao won't fight Martinez, ergo the Argentinian fighter is the Best in the World Pound For Pound.
That's twisted logic but good salesmen could always spin that to make Martinez look good.
And in marketing an inferior product, the salesman who makes the most sales gets a hefty financial reward.
Unfortunately for them, most boxing fans already understand the meaning of caveat emptor.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Manny Piñol.
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