Boxing Coverage on Sherdog.comBoxing: Former World Middleweight Champ Sergio Martinez to Retire?
Reports surfaced early Monday that one of Argentina’s greatest
fighters was set to announce his retirement from boxing. Sergio
Martinez reportedly told La Nación that is he close to making the
decision because his “knee is shattered.”
Martinez cautioned that he still will meet with his doctors in the next few weeks before he makes any sort of official announcement.
According to La Nación, “Maravilla” told the Argentinean news
outlet, “I am 40-years-old, I'm getting wrinkles and my hair is
falling out … I feel happy in spite of having a destroyed leg.”
Martinez told Ring TV’s Diego Morilla back in November that he would rather retire from boxing than face another surgery.
“If they decide to (perform the surgery), I would have to quit boxing,” he told Ring TV. “If not, we can initiate a treatment, which would involve a special preparation and a strengthening of the area that protects the knee. It would be a very intense work, very serious and very difficult to achieve as well.”
Though Martinez hasn’t stated that he will fight again, earlier today he denied the report of his pending exit from boxing. He claimed that La Nación took his words out of context and that he never officially told anybody that he is hanging up his gloves for good. Rumors have been swirling that he might fight one last time in front of his hometown fans as a send-off, but if his knee is still a serious issue, he may not be given the chance to do so.
Martinez was one of the most successful boxers to ever come from boxing-rich Argentina. The South American country has a noted history of the Sweet Science, with boxing luminaries such as Luis Firpo, Oscar Bonavena, Pascual Perez, and the great Carlos Monzon. Martinez (51-3-2, 28 KOs) fits amongst the best ever from the region with huge wins over Paul Williams, Martin Murray, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., and Kelly Pavlik. He captured minor titles at welterweight and junior middleweight before wresting the WBC and WBO world middleweight crowns in toppling Pavlik. He last fought on June 6, 2014, where he was knocked down three times in the first round and eventually had the towel thrown in between rounds nine and ten against Miguel Cotto in New York.
Martinez cautioned that he still will meet with his doctors in the next few weeks before he makes any sort of official announcement.
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Martinez told Ring TV’s Diego Morilla back in November that he would rather retire from boxing than face another surgery.
“If they decide to (perform the surgery), I would have to quit boxing,” he told Ring TV. “If not, we can initiate a treatment, which would involve a special preparation and a strengthening of the area that protects the knee. It would be a very intense work, very serious and very difficult to achieve as well.”
Though Martinez hasn’t stated that he will fight again, earlier today he denied the report of his pending exit from boxing. He claimed that La Nación took his words out of context and that he never officially told anybody that he is hanging up his gloves for good. Rumors have been swirling that he might fight one last time in front of his hometown fans as a send-off, but if his knee is still a serious issue, he may not be given the chance to do so.
Martinez was one of the most successful boxers to ever come from boxing-rich Argentina. The South American country has a noted history of the Sweet Science, with boxing luminaries such as Luis Firpo, Oscar Bonavena, Pascual Perez, and the great Carlos Monzon. Martinez (51-3-2, 28 KOs) fits amongst the best ever from the region with huge wins over Paul Williams, Martin Murray, Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., and Kelly Pavlik. He captured minor titles at welterweight and junior middleweight before wresting the WBC and WBO world middleweight crowns in toppling Pavlik. He last fought on June 6, 2014, where he was knocked down three times in the first round and eventually had the towel thrown in between rounds nine and ten against Miguel Cotto in New York.
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