Sergio Martinez: “To see Pacquiao knocked out brings the realization that it could happen to me one day. Anybody can get knocked out”

Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez is riding high going into 2013, as last year saw him regain the WBC title belt with his thrilling fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. That fight brought Martinez on the edge of losing everything in the final round of a bout that almost saw a son, repeat the history of his great father. With Sergio coming through that fight, many wondered what was next for the middleweight Champion of the world. On the 185th edition of my radio show “On The Ropes” I had a chance to speak with Sergio about what is next for him, that being former world title challenger Martin Murray. Beside discussing his upcoming fight, I also spoke to Sergio about his fight with Chavez Jr. and the exciting final round that saw him on the canvas. Additionally Martinez shared his feelings on being in the crowd for Manny Pacquiao’s shocking knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, and if he believes Pacquiao will ever be the same after such a defeat. Here is what Sergio had to say in Part 1 of my 2 part interview.

Jenna Jay: Sergio you are set to face Martin Murray April 27th in your home country of Argentina, how do you feel about this match up?

Sergio Martinez: I’m very excited, I’m very motivated, and the stadium in which I’m fighting there is going to be 50 to 60 thousand people, so that’s a very big reason to be motivated for a fight.

Jenna: What do you think of Martin Murray as an opponent?

Martinez: He’s a very dangerous fighter, as he has a lot to gain, and not much to lose. He is strong, and he is your classic Englishman because he is going to fight every second of every round, so we respect him and he is a strong fighter and we know he is going to come to fight.

Jenna: You mentioned that you will be fighting in front of 50 to 60 thousand people. Do you think that extra pressure is a good thing or a bad thing?

Martinez: It’s not at all pressure, on the contrary it is motivation. The more people I can have, the bigger the crowd, it makes me very very happy.

Jenna: Your last fight against Chavez Jr. was your highest profile match up to date. Can you talk a little bit about that fight and the final round you had that was interesting to say the least.

Martinez: It was a great fight, an excellent fight. For those eleven rounds I stuck to my game plan and things got a little dramatic towards the end, but I was able to pick myself up from the ground and finish the fight and I was very happy to recover the belt that I never lost in the first place, I never lost that title, it was my belt and I never lost it in the ring, so I was happy to regain that championship.

Jenna: I talked to Naazim Richardson after that fight and he said that he asked you why you fought the way you did when Chavez hurt you, and you said ‘Because no other fighter would fight the way I did’ and my question to you is, why?

Martinez: That’s the difference between a good champion and a super champion. Any other champion would of probably just wanted to survive, but a super champion gives everything in the ring and is willing to die in it.

Jenna: Sergio you were ringside not long ago for Manny Pacquiao’s bout against Juan Manuel Marquez. What were your thoughts when you saw Pacquiao knocked out the way he was?

Martinez: First I’d like to acknowledge that Marquez is a great fighter, he is one of the greatest. At the same time it saddened me to see another fighter out like that, to see a man knocked out. It just brings the realization that it could happen to me one day. Anybody can get knocked out, but it just saddened me to see Manny laying out like that in the 6th round of their fight.

Jenna: Sergio it’s not often that we see an elite fighter knocked out in that way. I’m wondering if you think Manny Pacquiao will ever be the same after that, or if you think that type of knock out will forever change him.

Martinez: It’s a shame what happened and I don’t believe no fighter can be the same after that type of a knockout, because it was so serious. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and a lot of mental preparation for Manny to comeback and be the same Manny. But even so, for him to be the person that he was before the knockout, he’s probably not going to be the same person because of how devastating it was.

READ PART 2 OF THE SERGIO MARTINEZ INTERVIEW HERE

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