New York, NY – Another busy weekend of action surfaces on Saturday offering two solid cards of “big time boxing” featuring two world class top “pound for pound” fighters in separate bouts on rival networks.
HBO GOT DA’ BUZZ
WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine middleweight (160) champion Sergio”Maravilla” Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs) will meet undefeated WBO light middleweight (154) strap carrier Sergei “Razor” Dzinziruk (37-0, 23 KOs) over 12 rounds or less at the Foxwoods Resort & Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, Saturday at 10:30 PM ET on HBO.
IS MARTINEZ THE BEST BOXER ON EARTH?
Fresh off delivering one of the nastiest knockout blows in the history of the sport against Paul Williams (W KO 2), last year’s “fighter of the year” looks to kick of 2011 with a bang. Before “the shot heard around the world”, Martinez captured the public’s imagination with a dazzling display of intestinal fortitude in his first contest with Paul Williams (L PTS 12). Thereafter, Sergio Martinez fought on and kept fans buzzing about his blistering style when he beat on former belt holder Kelly Pavilk like a rock music drummer for 12 rounds (W PTS 12). As showcased in past bouts, highly avoided Martinez is a southpaw with speed and power in both hands that can cause fits and create problems for even the most decorated boxer. Before his first shoot out with Williams, Sergio’s previous loss was over nine years ago against Antonio Margarito (L TKO 7).
UNKNOWN UKRANIAN CHAMP IN THE LIMELIGHT
Unbeknownst by even the most loyal fan, southpaw Sergei Dzinziruk is an unbeaten formidable boxer/puncher who has handily defended his title since winning it back in 2005. Sergei, mostly know as a small light middleweight who has struggled to make the 154 weight limit before in the past, is making the trip north to the middleweight division for the first time in his career.
CURTAIN RAISER:
Once promising power punching Irishmen Andy Lee (24-1, 18 KOs) faces “up and coming” British craftsmen Craig McEwan (19-0, 10 KOs) in a 10 round middleweight tilt
COTTO BACK IN BUSINESS, SHOWTIME BACK IN THE PPV INDUSTRY
Offering the network’s first Pay Per View card since 2007 (which ironically featured one of the combatants [Mayorga] in the following mentioned card) Showtime is back in the business of Pay Per Screw. This time around, they’ll be featuring one of the sport’s biggest names when WBA light middleweight belt holder Miguel Cotto (35-2, 28 KOs) takes on free swinging former champ madman Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1, 23 KOs) in a proposed 12 round contest at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Saturday at 9 PM ET on Showtime PPV.
BAPTISM UNDER FIRE
Miguel Cotto was a celebrated undefeated champion before being violently beaten into submission by the (suspect) hands of Antonio Margarito (L TKO 11). Despite such a devastating setback, unlike most young fighters who administer a terrible beating early in their career; a galvanized Miguel Cotto rebounded with two impressively fought wins. Just 16 months removed from the Margarito affair; Cotto, in effort to reclaim the number one “pound for pound” status that he was close to capturing before his setback, agreed to fight one of the sport’s best combatants; Manny Pacquiao. In his effort against Pacquiao, Miguel competitively stood “toe to toe” with the Filipino superstar for as long as he could. Due to the relentless assault reigned upon him, Cotto eventually broke down and was stopped at the hands boxing’s most explosively committed banger (L TKO 12). 7 months removed from the Pacquiao beating, Miguel once again returned and earned an impressive 9th round TKO over Yuri Foreman. Against Mayorga, Cotto will be returning to the ring for the first time in eight months.
THUG LIFE
For the better part of 18 years, unorthodox free spirited beer drinking cigarette smoking brawling pug Ricardo Mayorga has been pitted against the best of the best within his respective weight classes. Albeit usually unsuccessful at bids against elite opposition such as Felix Trinidad (L TKO 8), Oscar De La Hoya (L TKO 6), and Shane Mosley (L TKO 12), earlier in his career (to the surprise of many), Ricardo managed to capture two wins against one of the sport’s most masterful tacticians of his era in Vernon Forrest (W TKO 3, W PTS 12). Always the power puncher that can give as good as he can take, Ricardo is coming off a slugfest 9th round TKO victory over Michael Walker in his recent effort.
UNDERCARD LINE UP
IBF lightweight (135) belt holder Leonardo Zappavigna (25-0, 17 KOs) engages in battle against savvy veteran Miguel Vazquez (27-3, 12 KOs) for 12 scheduled rounds of throw down.
Come backing former champ Yuri Foreman (28-1, 8 KOs) squares off against rugged scrapper Pawel Wolak (28-1, 18 KOs) in a light middleweight 10 rounder.
John Signorella