World Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez is looking into fighting in his homeland of Argentina on April 27th according to Dan Rafael of espn.com
“The most important thing he wants to do is fight for his people in his country,” Sampson Lewkowicz, Martinez’s adviser, told ESPN on Monday. “We need to comply with that wish. He deserves to fight at home in front of his own people. Always he was the visitor. It’s time to be the hometown fighter.”
Lewkowicz said the specific venue and opponent are not determined, but they have a short list for both.
“We have four on the short list,” Lewkowicz said of the possible opponents.
The leading candidate is England’s Martin Murray (24-0-1, 10 KOs), whose draw came in a world title bout against then-middleweight titleholder Felix Sturm in December 2011. Murray would have to win a fight he has scheduled to remain in contention. He is slated to face Jorge Navarro for a vacant interim belt on Nov. 24 in Manchester, England on the undercard of former junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton’s return from retirement against former welterweight titleholder Vyacheslav Senchenko.
“Martin Murray is the desired opponent, as long as he wins his upcoming fight,” Lou DiBella, Martinez’s promoter, told ESPN. “There’s a huge competitive thing between Argentina and the Brits.
“Sergio will be ready by April,” DiBella said.
Said Lewkowicz, “He will have plenty of time recuperate for a fight then.”
“Sergio is a giant superstar in Argentina now,” DiBella said. “One of the venues being discussed is a 50,000-seat soccer stadium with a retractable roof.”
Lewkowicz said the target date for a rematch with Mexican star Chavez is Sept. 14, the same weekend on which he met Chavez this year — Mexican Independence Day weekend.
He said he and Top Rank’s Bob Arum, Chavez’s promoter, have been discussing it.
“Bob and I discussed it and that is the appropriate time for the rematch,” Lewkowicz said.
