New York (January 27, 2009) – DiBella Entertainment serves up a Valentine’s Day treat with the addition of a potentially explosive 154 pound title fight between interim WBC champion Sergio Martinez and former IBF welterweight kingpin Kermit Cintron, to HBO’s Boxing After Dark on Saturday, February 14, at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida.
The scheduled 12-rounder will be the first bout of 2009 for both fighters. Martinez (43-1-1, 23 KOs) was supposed to defend his interim belt against undefeated Joe Greene on the recent DBE-promoted Berto-Collazo welterweight championship card in Biloxi, MS, but illness forced WBO # 4 rated Greene to withdraw. “Maravilla” Martinez was then briefly scheduled fight Daniel Santos before the WBA junior middleweight champion changed his mind…claiming lack of proper preparation time. Cintron (30-2, 27 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over former IBF 140 lbs. champion Lovemore N’dou on the Taylor-Lacy DBE show, seen on HBO this past November 15, in Nashville, TN. “El Asesino” Cintron is currently rated the # 2 welterweight in the world by the IBF.
“Sergio Martinez has been anxious for the opportunity to build on his spectacular knockout win over Alex Bunema on HBO this past October, while Kermit Cintron is riding high again following his recent victory over N’dou. It says a lot about the character of two great professional fighters when Sergio and Kermit are willing to put it all on the line against each other. Both guys want to be the best and neither one will pass up an opportunity to prove it!” said DBE president Lou DiBella.
Madrid, Spain’s Martinez, by way of Buenos Aires, is 33-year-old southpaw and former IBO 154 pound titlist, who put the American boxing audience on notice in October, as “Maravilla” produced a dazzling TKO victory over then WBA # 1 rated contender Alex Bunema to earn the interim WBC 154 pound title.
One of boxing’s hardest punchers, former welterweight champion Cintron won the vacant IBF title in October 2006 with an impressive display of power punching – halting Mark Suarez in six one-sided rounds. Born in Carolinas, Puerto Rico, Cintron, 29, now fights out of Reading, PA.
Martinez vs. Cintron is part of an HBO tripleheader also featuring unified lightweight champion Nate Campbell defending against Ali Funeka and Alfredo Angulo vs. Ricardo Mayorga in a WBC 154 lbs. eliminator.
Tickets information for the Feb. 14 boxing tripleheader will be announced shortly. The BankAtlantic Center is the home arena for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League.