Martinez vs. Chavez Jr.: Why Match Will Put Spotlight Back on Boxing

The sport of boxing may not have the drawing power it used to, but with events like the upcoming Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. tilt, we could see a resurgence of casual observers to the sport.

Martinez-Chavez is packed with plenty of storylines, and as things heat up for Saturday's showdown in Las Vegas, Nev., two men who truly do not like one another are gearing up to take center stage.

Animosity between fighters doesn't guarantee a high level of excitement, nor does it mean we should prepare ourselves for an epic, 12-round slugfest. But as these two men prepare to go at it on pay-per-view, it is clear we will see vastly different personalities and styles butting heads, vying for the middleweight title.

Martinez is 37 years old, a man who came from a tough upbringing and worked hard to achieve his current record of 49-2-2. He is widely considered one of the top five fighters in the world, and as a lefty uses a unique, exciting style in the ring. He has long used his unpredictability to his advantage in the ring, and will certainly try to throw his younger opponent off balance in the early stages of the bout.

Chavez grew up in a different world, one in which he had a famous boxing father to guide him through. As a 26-year-old with a record of 46-0-1, he is not solely an individual with a well-known surname. He is strong and quick, and if he gets his hands on Martinez early, it could spell doom for the elder statesman.

In typical pre-fight fashion, we are seeing both guys launch verbal attacks. Martinez is promising to punish Chavez on Saturday, alluding to the fact that Chavez did not earn his belt and that his name helped him get it. Martinez is clearly making this a personal bout, and seeing as he is never known to hold anything back in the ring, it could get interesting very quickly come Saturday.

Everyone is waiting for Manny Pacquiao to name his next opponent. Others would love to see him go against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Those big names aside, the sport could not ask for a better duo than Martinez-Chavez. We will get the pleasure to see two different personalities punch their way to the middleweight title, and in the process a quality match is almost guaranteed.