WBC and linear middleweight champion Sergio Martinez will undergo right knee surgery next week and tentatively expects to make an in-ring return in May 2013.
In a statement to boxingscene.com, Martinez advisor Sampson Lewkowicz stated his fighter’s comments about his willingness to face the likes of Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez won’t be fully explored until a finalized recovery timeframe is made.
“Martinez will likely return in May,” said Lewkowicz. “We have to see what the doctor says, but I believe he will be back in May. At the moment, we don’t want to discuss any opponents, but once we confirm how long Martinez will be out, then we will explore the possibilities.”
In addition to right knee ligament tears, Martinez suffered several injuries in his unanimous decision win last Saturday over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, including a broken left hand, eight stitches to close a left eye cut and two staples to close a head gash.
********************************************
This isn’t too surprising. In my post-fight analysis, I speculated a Martinez return at around 8-9 months. The question is whether he’ll be ready to jump right back in with elite competition. With Cinco de Mayo in May, that would at least put Martinez in consideration for a Canelo bout. However, Cotto likely has first dibs there, and the Puerto Rican star has never really fancied Martinez as an opponent going back to 2010. And there’s always the Chavez rematch, which isn’t warranted based on the outcome, but makes sense financially for both sides.
Nonetheless, take everything just stated with a grain of salt as the 154-160 pound could change drastically by next May.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 