By Kirk Jackson
HBO aired another episode of “Face Off” in preparation for their next Pay-Per-View event that will take place June 7th at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.
In one of the most anticipated fights of the year, the HBO event will feature long reigning Lineal Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez 51-2-2 (28 KO’s) vs. multiple division champion Miguel Cotto 38-4 (31 KO’s) for Martinez’s WBC Middleweight Championship.
Both fighters have amassed impressive resumes throughout the course of their careers, both fighters are heading towards the twilight of their careers and both aim to add another mark of triumph to solidify their greatness.
For Martinez, he is seeking a career defining fight and the ever so elusive pay-day and fame that comes along with it.
Cotto is trying to become the first Puerto Rican fighter to capture world titles across four different weight classes.
There’s a plethora of storylines, a level of respect shared between the fighters and a sense of animosity as well. If you watched the “Face Off” episode, that animosity translated through the television screen.
Just in case you missed it:
One of the telling topics of conversation that struck me as a viewer was the discussion of “A-side and B-side” level fighters and “A-level and B-level” fighters.
From his own account, Martinez feels disrespected as a champion, because of all of the requests he had to abide to, in order to secure the fight with Cotto. For instance, Cotto’s preference of entering the ring last (a tradition reserved for the champion), PPV split, etc.
Those demands, along with Cotto’s snobbish attitude from a previous encounter with Martinez at the ESPN Deportes office, lead to Martinez referring to Cotto as a “diva.”
It’s hearsay, but either way, these guy do not like each other.
And to Cotto’s point in this instance, he is the A-side to this match-up with Martinez. He is the more popular fighter, he’s fought at Madison Square Garden on many occasions, he has been involved with extraordinary PPV events and has a huge fan following.
And Cotto did an excellent job expressing his view-points in regards to the matter of being the more marketable fighter.
Cotto is the bigger star, but that does not necessarily mean he is the superior fighter, and the odds do reflect that.