Lou Dibella gives HBO and others the proverbial finger with sensational Sergio Martinez
Sergio Martinez’s promoter Lou Dibella has come through on a promise to HBO.
In an exclusive interview with the popular boxing website FanHouse, Dibella explained that since Martinez’s brutal second round knock-out of Paul Williams, he has rendered Dibella Entertainment and Martinez the term-setters in future negotiations with broadcast
mogul HBO.
“They [HBO] knew, and we told them, that we were going to make ourselves the A-side of negotiations after this fight,” Dibella said. “When we become the A-side, we're going to stick with the people [HBO] that brought us here.”
But they're going to pay for it,” Dibella continued. “They’re going to pay for it because he's a star [Martinez]. He's a star now. And you can't fault the guy if people are running away from him.”
On Saturday, Martinez rewrote a fight many boxing experts thought would go the distance when he brutally folded “The Punisher” in two short rounds.
The bout, a rematch to their epic war in December of last year, is already being held as knock-out of the year.
A first round had both fighters come out quick and look for meaningful shots. While Martinez ducked frequently and halted Williams’ attacks by grappling his arms, Williams continued to try to engage Martinez, something he would regret by the middle of the
second round.
Dibella was happy to have the negotiating tables switched, as Williams made a significant amount more than Martinez for the bout and was able to set many of the terms (despite Martinez being the WBC middleweight king).
“Paul Williams made a lot more than Sergio did, but I don't know the number,” Dibella confirmed. “But we will not be dictated to ever again. Never again. And I don't think that the network [HBO] is going to expect us to.”
“They're going to know that I have one of the three best fighters in the world, and that you're going to treat us that way.”
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