SERGIO MARTINEZ: “I DON'T BELIEVE THE CONGRESSMAN WILL TAKE THE FIGHT”

“Congratulations to him on his Congressional victory. I would take that fight in a heartbeat, but I don’t believe the Congressman will take the fight,” commented jr. middleweight and middleweight champion Sergio Martinez when asked whether or not he would be willing to face pound-for-pound superstar Manny Pacquiao. Fresh off of his victory over Kelly Pavlik last month, Martinez is hoping to position himself for a career-high payday against a marquee name, so it’s only natural for him to target the two biggest stars of the sport in Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Maywether. What is odd, however, is his belief that Pacquiao would be reluctant to face him.

Throughout the years, Manny Pacquiao has continuously proven that he’s willing to face the biggest and toughest challenges available, and yet, Martinez seems to believe that Floyd Mayweather would be more eager to face him. “Floyd’s the pound-for-pound king and he makes the rules. It would be an honor to fight the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. We’d fight him for the junior middleweight title or the middleweight title,” Martinez continued in an interview with FightHype’s own Mike Juhas. “It would be an honor to fight him at any weight he desires between 154 and 160 pounds, for either title, as long as it’s at a minimum of 154 pounds.”

Whether or not Martinez will get his wish remains to be seen, as both Pacquiao and Mayweather will first to try to make a fight with each other before either man moves on to Plan B. However, should Pacquiao decide to continue his assault on the record books, I’m quite sure that he won’t be as reluctant as Martinez may think when it comes to the opportunity to face a man who holds not one, but two titles in two different weight classes. After all, the Filipino icon has settled into the 147 pound division quite nicely, and having already faced naturally bigger opponents in Oscar De La Hoya and Joshua Clottey, the size difference might not be as much of an advantage for Martinez, who’s considered to be small for a middleweight. Given that 154-pound champion Yuri Foreman was already being considered as a possible opponent for Pacquiao, it’s certainly not inconceivable that both men could meet at 155 pounds. Martinez, however, isn’t holding his breath. When asked again whether or not he thought the fight was a possibility, he simply replied, “Top Rank knows how to get in touch with me if Manny is interested.”

So what say you fans? Should Manny Pacquiao actually step into the ring to face Sergio Martinez at a catchweight of 155 pounds for a chance to pick up two more titles in two more weight classes? Would he be biting off more than he can chew or could he one day actually be called the Middleweight Champion of the World? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.