HBO Sports President speaks about Sergio Martinez-Paul Williams rematch
After the excitement of a first HBO bout on 9 December between Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams, Ross Greenburg knew that it would be imperative to broadcast the rematch.
On 20 November, the HBO Sports President will get his chance to bring his intention to fruition.
A candid Greenburg told the popular boxing site AOL FanHouse, “I guess that we drove everyone crazy in the process of getting this fight done again. We drove the parties [Lou Dibella and Sergio Martinez, Dan Goossen and Paul Williams, respectively] in both camps crazy.
"But the reason for that is because, you know, I sat at ringside for their first fight, and it was a great fight. So, not only as the president of HBO sports, but also, as a fan, why wouldn't you want to see it again?"
In their first outing, Martinez lost a controversial decision to which many thought he should have been entitled. While it wasn’t a title fight, it brought two world-class competitors together and won the respect of nearly every boxing insider.
For Greenburg, it was a “war” and a “classic,” and it helped that the fighters’ styles seemed tailor-made for each other.
Williams, considered by many to be the best fighter the world over, stands at an awesome 6ft 2in, and uses his long arms and busy work rate to overwhelm opponents.
With Martinez though, “The Punisher” was unable to rely on the usual tactics, as “Maravilla” fought back with hard counter punches, swift combinations, and a larger than life heart.
Greenburg said of the upcoming rematch, “I believe that there is just a second life to this fight that you haven't seen before, and that's what these two fighters create. And that's why we were so adamant about the fact that we wanted them to fight each other again. It's a treat for the fans.”
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