Friday, November 1, 2013

Mikey Garcia vs. Rocky Martinez: Rocky the ultimate underdog?



It’s generally recognized or believed by the boxing media, the boxing fans, and causal fans that “Rocky” Martinez stands no chance against Mikey Garcia. A win by Rocky Martinez will be the upset of the year, in my opinion, thus becoming a true life Rocky. Martinez is the ultimate underdog in this fight with all the odds against him. His pressure style is tailor made for Garcia’s counter punching abilities.  On the day of the fight it will be interesting how much weight “Rocky” Martinez gains and after two rounds if he is able to withstand Garcia’s power and pressure him with a body attack.

Roman “Rocky” Martinez is a pressure boxer with the height of 5’8” and the reach at 67” with a record of 27-1-2. He is the natural Super Featherweight and WBO Champion in that division with world experience and only knows one way to fight which is forward. He has faced Diego Magdaleno 23-0, J.C. Burgos 30-1-0, Miguel Beltran 27-1, Daniel Attah 26-7-1, and Ricky Burns.

Mikey Garcia height is at 5’6” and reach at 68” with a record of 32-0 27 KO’s and is now currently under nutritionist Alex Ariza the man who was responsible for Manny Pacquiao’s rise through multiple weight divisions with lean muscle, unbelievable stamina, and devastating KO power. It’s very likely everyone will see a new muscular lean Garcia with the addition of new power and strength.  Mikey Garcia’s rise has been a strategic one and not one of fighting top talent. His last opponents before the WBO championship fights were J.V. Barros 34-3-1, Mauricio Pastrana 35-16-11, Bernabe Concepcion 30-5-1, and J.C. Martinez 19-12-1. The Garcia team has selected opponents and at various opportunities avoided the dangerous Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa once the IBF Featherweight Champion, and the Filipino Michael Farenas. They basically waited for Juan Ma Lopez and Orlando “Siri” Salido to demolish each other, as a result, by the time Garcia faced Juan Ma Lopez and Orlando Salido both were coming off two brutal fights where Salido had KO’d Lopez twice.

After his two KO victories Orlando Salido then faced Mikey Garcia for the WBO Featherweight title.  In this fight Garcia wins the WBO Featherweight title, because, he could not continue due to a broken nose. Juan Ma Lopez due to his on air allegations of corruption and gambling ends up suspended but then returns and wins a fight versus a club fighter in Mexico. No surprise at all the WBO grants Juan Ma Lopez a title shot in Texas versus the new champion Mikey Garcia. Nevertheless, Garcia showing irresponsibility as the WBO Featherweight Champion could not make weight due to 2 lbs. and after negotiations his team pays Juan Ma Lopez a substantial amount of money for a fight. As a result, the boxer Juan Ma Lopez who is already a huge underdog faces a Garcia with better talent, and a weight advantage is TKO’d.
Garcia is a counter puncher with power at Featherweight and with the addition of Ariza on his team. Garcia’s power at Super Featherweight will not be an issue question will be can he hurt Martinez? It’s very likely he will. It depends on “Rocky” Martinez defensive improvements, and his game plan.  “Rocky” Martinez can obtain a victory by constantly breaking down Garcia with body shots, not allowing any space and a vast improvement in defense. If “Rocky” Martinez takes the fight to the later rounds and can with stand Garcia’s power, then “Rocky” Martinez’s odds improve. “Rocky” Martinez must win by KO or TKO.  I don’t see any way he wins a decision.




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