Preview: Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams will impress
Paul Williams will meet Sergio Martinez in a rematch virtually guaranteed to equal their spectacular first bout.
For avid boxing fans, this is a bout not worth missing. In some ways, it surpasses even a superb event like Manny Pacquiao’s recent bout against Antonio Margarito. While that bout lived up to every ounce
of hype with Pacquiao offering yet another superb performance, for many there was still too much glitter and glam for a one-sided beatdown.
Williams and Martinez will not be glitter and glam, nor will it be a one-sided beatdown. This fight isn’t about HBO documentaries, or far-reaching speculations, or drama in general. It’s about two special
fighters putting everything on the line outside of politics and promotion.
Williams and Martinez found each other in somewhat unique ways. Back in 2009 Williams, who had already turned heads with wins over Carlos Quintana and Antonio Margarito, signed on for a fight with middleweight
champion Kelly Pavlik. The two were set to meet in October. Anticipation came to a halt though when Pavlik bailed due to a staph infection in his hand.
Though a second December date was scheduled, Pavlik again complained he would need to postpone due to the injury. Restless, Williams’ camp set out to move on. ‘Patience as a virtue’ only goes so far
in boxing.
So Williams ended up finding Martinez, and signing on with him, a fellow southpaw. At the time, Martinez had racked up a formidable record, but was coming off of a draw with Kermit Cintron, the only name
opponent he had faced to date.
Boxing insiders thought of Williams – Martinez in mostly intriguing, positive terms. But it surely wasn’t expected to be the stunner it ended up being.
Both guys went down in the first round; and over the hump of the fight the action didn’t stop for twelve rounds, with Williams often putting on more pressure but Williams appearing to land the more significant,
entertaining shots.
At decision time, some had it for Williams, other Martinez. But ultimately Williams took it the decision that had Martinez laugh it off as if he felt he really knew who was boss.
Since then, Martinez, 35, took on Pavlik in April, and further proved his calibre by stealing “The Ghost’s” middleweight belts. Williams participated in what turned out to be a bizarre bout with Kermit
Cintron, picking up a fourth round decision when Cintron fell out of the ring onto the ring announcer’s table.
After those bouts the elephant in the room was finally dealt with—and here we are again with round two.
If anything, the first contest showed two things: both these guys are quality professionals in terms of skills, and both of them have an immense degree of dedication. What’s more is that their styles
are completely compatible. Indeed it wouldn’t be too much to say they enhance each other, and bring out their respective bests.
This fight is an extremely hard one to judge, which is why betting odds are essentially even. It’s a well known fact that statistically rematches tend to churn out winners based on who won the first contest.
But don’t hold your breath here.
For starters, in the first clash, the fight was picked up on extreme short notice by Martinez. That meant neither guy had trained for the kind of fight they were going to be in. This time the stakes
are completely different since they know.
An educated guess is that it will resemble in many ways the performance of the first bout. Like most classic fights, there tends to be an overarching pattern regarding of how fighters train. Look for
Williams to press a bit more than Martinez; but for Martinez to keep Williams honest with his sharp defence and sweeping shots.
Williams is the younger guy, but that only means he may be more susceptible for Martinez’s more clever attacks. Martinez should win by decision.
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