Matthew Macklin to meet Sergio Martinez on St. Patrick’s Day

Fight to take place at the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden

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Matthew Macklin

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Middleweight Matthew Macklin (28-3, 19 KOs) will fight Sergio Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs) on St. Patrick’s Day at the WaMu Theater in Madison Square Garden in a contest scheduled for 12 rounds. The fight will be televised on HBO at 10 p.m., EST.

Macklin has a straightforward strategy planned to topple Martinez.

"I'm going to war right from round one, and I have the youth, strength, size and desire to walk through anything Sergio has,” he said Monday night.

“I will go through walls on St. Patrick's Day to win this fight, and I'll set a pace from the very first bell that Sergio won't be able to cope with."

The former Tipperary underage hurler cannot wait to begin battle on the biggest day of the Irish calendar at the Mecca of boxing.

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"It's the stuff dreams are made of, really, to headline a massive fight in the most famous sporting venue in the world on St. Patrick's Day. I couldn't ask for a better script and a better stage to beat a pound for pound star,” Macklin said.

Though Martinez is widely recognized as the best middleweight in the world, there will be no sanctioned belt on the line on St. Patrick’s night.

Martinez recently vacated his WBC Diamond title after he could not secure a fight with “regular“ champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.

Martinez has vowed not to fight for the WBC again, and said he would continue to defend his Ring magazine title.

“He (Martinez) will defend the mantle of the best middleweight in the world,” promoter Lou DiBella told the Irish Voice on Monday.

“He will defend the mantle against the best available opposition, and that is Matthew Macklin.”
Tomas Rohan, matchmaker for Brian Peters (who manages Macklin), said the lack of a belt was not causing their man any undue concern.

“As far as Matt's concerned he's getting the fight he's wanted, in the Garden on St. Patrick's Day in a big HBO fight. If all goes to plan and Matthew beats Sergio, then I don't think he will need a belt around his waist for people to recognize him as the best middleweight in the world,” Rohan said.

DiBella is adamant the pairing of the Argentinean against the Irishman from Birmingham will be the best party to whet any appetite on St. Patrick’s night.

"The fans are going to be the big winners here. There is no way in the world that this isn't going to be a good fight,” he said.

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