When middleweight champ Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams clash Nov. 20, Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. will be the site of a rematch of one of the best boxing matches of 2009. Boxing betting experts will keep a keen eye on the bout.
The bout between Martinez and Williams is expected to be one of the biggest fights of the year. On HBO’s “World Championship Boxing“, it will be televised.
A news conference formally announcing the bout will be held Thursday in New York, said the promoters.
After months of on-and-off negotiations, comes the scheduled fight.
Williams’ promoter, Dan Goossen said, “It’s nice to get it completed. It’s not a matter of whose fault it is [that the fight took so long to make], it’s a matter that you have two of the most feared fighters in the world facing each other. It doesn’t just get made overnight. There’s a lot more to it. That’s what took time.”
Martinez’s promoter, Lou DiBella said, “Martinez is not afraid of anybody and we did the deal that HBO wanted us to do. My take on the fight it’s the best f—— fight the rest of the year. Period. It’s the best fight for fight fans and they don’t have to fork over $60 to watch it on pay-per-view.”
The Boardwalk Hall main arena will be configured to seat about 7,000 and this is where the fight will be held.
With both fighters knocked down in the first round and Williams winning a heavily disputed majority decision in the nontitle bout, they last met Dec. 5 last year.
On September 2, Antonio Margarito, favorite among sports betting odds received a license from Texas boxing authorities.
For a match between Margarito and Manny Pacquiao, the regulatory green light paves the way. Pacquiao has won titles in seven different weight classes, while Margarito is a former titlist in the welterweight class. After a controversial fight that resulted in Margarito, losing his boxing license came the approval.
After a knockout loss to Shane Mosley, Margarito lost his Californian license. Glove inserts covered in a substance similar to plaster were discovered in Margarito’s hand wraps, before the January 2009 fight. Margarito was knocked out in the ninth round, although the match continued. Margarito also lost his title in the match, in addition to losing his Californian boxing license. Javier Capetillo, Margarito’s trainer, had provided and performed the hand wrapping. He lost his license as well.
With Capetillo, Margarito has parted ways. The trainer claims it was an accident, although he accepts that the hand wraps were his fault.
On November 13, the Margarito and Pacquiao match will be held. In Arlington, Texas, HBO pay-per-view will show the fight from Cowboys Stadium.
Bob Arum of Top Rank, Pacquiao’s promoter, believes the upcoming fight could draw over 50,994 people. At Cowboys Stadium, that was the attendance number for Pacquiao’s first fight. This weekend, Arum says Margarito should sign the contract. On Monday from the Philippines, Pacquiao will fly into the United States, where he has been serving as a politician. He is expected to sign his contract then.
