Sergio Martinez has finally landed the return he’s craved for several years as an opponent has been named for the former world middleweight king.
‘Maravilla’ has been out of action since losing to Miguel Cotto in 2014. The Argentinian was suffering from severe knee injuries, which he now says have been cleared by doctors.
In the opposite corner in Torrelavega, Spain, will be José Miguel Fandiño. A Spaniard ten years Martinez’s junior, Fandino is 15-6 as a pro. The pair will fight on August 21 in a special Maravilla Box event.
Martinez raised eyebrows when announcing his decision in an exclusive interview with World Boxing News in 2018. Many didn’t believe it was possible.
At the time, the veteran wanted to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a rematch. WBN believes this is still the case.
Words stated initially indicated that Martinez has something far more significant in the pipeline once he dusts off the cobwebs.
“It is OK that Julio Cesar Chavez wants to fight me again as I would only come back to face him or another big name of my generation like Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao,” Martinez exclusively told World Boxing News.
“This is a big challenge for me, and I love challenges. I have been training for months, and I am not joking about this. If he wants it, we can do it.
“I offered him through Twitter a fight, if possible, as early as November, and Argentina licensed me, so I am ready to go.
“I wanted to be sure that everything is OK, and to be honest, I feel in perfect shape and have recovered from my injuries.”
SERGIO MARTINEZ vs CHAVEZ JR II
Chavez is currently laying low, having suffered another career loss against Danny Jacobs last December. The 34-year-old is yet to commit to a boxing future since the coronavirus outbreak.
Given the right offer and circumstances, it is believed Chavez would accept any Sergio Martinez advances. Junior would then have the opportunity to avenge his 2012 loss to Martinez.
Martinez also took his prized WBC title into the bargain by inflicting the first-career defeat on Chavez.
When he returns next month, Martinez features alongside Sergio Garcia and ex-world title-holder Kiko Martinez.
WBN Editor Phil Jay has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews, Instagram, and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
