5 Realistic Opponents for Sergio Martinez That Could Give Him a Real Challenge

Sergio Martinez easily beat Darren Barker this Saturday. Whether the fight should have been on HBO is debatable as most considered it to be a less than competitive matchup.  

In the ring, it turned out to be just that.

Now Martinez faces the prospect of being the best fighter in a division devoid of challenges. Still, there are potential fights that could be made which would test the Argentinean's resolve.

There isn't much to be found in the middleweight division, but he could start with...

Andy Lee

Remember when everyone believed that this guy was going to to be the one to beat the undefeated Kelly Pavlik?

Well, he lost to Brian Vera in a great fight on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights, and then Pavlik lost to Martinez.

As always, things change fast in boxing.

However, Lee has rebuilt his career, and has decent wins over former light middleweight contender Alex Bunema, fellow middleweight prospect Craig McEwan, and a revenge win against Vera.

Add in the fact that he is trained by the famous Emanuel Steward, and it makes the fight interesting enough to bother watching.

Of everyone on this list he probably has the least chance of beating Martinez, but it isn't impossible to imagine.

Daniel Geale

The Australian might not be the most well-known name stateside, but he is a title holder who has wins over former middleweight champ Sebastian Sylvester, and former light middleweight champ Roman Karmazin.

His only loss is to fellow Australian Anthony Mundine in a split decision that some believed he won.

When a controversial loss is a boxer's only claim to defeat and he is currently on a five-fight win streak while holding a title, there probably aren't going to be many fights better than that.

Of course it is possible to get some bigger names if Martinez is willing to dip down into a lower weight class to fight... 

Miguel Cotto

If Cotto gets by Margarito, this could be a real fight. Sure, Cotto would be the smaller guy, but he is a great fighter with some real name power behind him.

Cotto has always been a tough fighter, and has been at the top multiple times so it's not impossible to imagine that he could win the middleweight title.

He might not be the fighter he was before the first Margarito fight, but he might regain some of his old self if he can beat the "Tijuana Tornado."

Of course there is the possibility that he loses.  If he does...

Antonio Margarito

Who better to fight than the only man that gave Martinez the only loss he hasn't avenged yet.

As loathe as most boxing fans are to give Margarito another payday after his loaded hand wrap fiasco back in 2010 when he fought Shane Mosley, it's an interesting fight.  

If Margarito can beat Cotto, he will remove a little bit of the stain he earned when he got busted for trying to load his gloves. It will also give him a big win with which to challenge Martinez.

He's also a little taller than Martinez so he wouldn't be mismatched against the current middleweight champ if they fought.

That, plus a revenge storyline would make this a can't-miss event.

Felix Sturm

The pickings may be slim in the middleweight division, but this fight stands out.

Sturm has been a dominant middleweight for the longest time, and holds the best chance of testing Martinez.

However, Sturm is also a man who has ducked Kelly Pavlik, Jermain Taylor, and even fellow German Arthur Abraham, opting to fight lesser competition.

Some of this is understandable as he lost a controversial decision to Oscar De La Hoya when he went to the U.S. In an ironic twist of fate, a German came over and fought an American, and got screwed by a hometown decision.

It may be part of what has stopped him from leaving his native Germany, and what is stopping this fight.

If it does happen it would be interesting, though, probably not the most exciting. It would tell us who the best middleweight in the world is, though, and that is what most fans pay to see.

Your Thoughts

Who do you think would be the best guy to step in the ring with Martinez?

Let it be known in the thoughts below.

And as always, thanks for reading.