Sergio Martinez vs. Serhiy Dziniruk and the Top 10 Can't Miss Fights in March
Mark your calendars for a jam-packed month of boxing. Undefeated records, pound for pound status and title belts will all be on the line. Each fighter, whether they hold one, two or all three of those things, will be looking to establish and build upon their reputation as the sport's elite boxers.
Fighters featured this month include Sergio Martinez, Vitali Klitschko, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Lucian Bute, Miguel Cotto and Saul Alvarez.
Notable Mentions
Vicente Escobedo vs. Walter Estrada takes place March 4 on Telefutura.
Humberto Soto vs. Fidel Munoz takes place March 5 on Fox Deportes.
Michael Grant vs. Tye Fields and Joel Casamayor vs. Mike Anchodo take place March 11 on PPV.
Demetrius Hopkins vs. Brad Solomon takes place March 18 on ESPN2.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. David Medina takes place March 19 on Fox Deportes.
Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Willie Casey takes place March 19.
Dmitry Pirog vs. Javier Maciel takes place March 26.
No. 10 Yuri Foreman (28-1) vs. Pawel Wolak (28-1)
When: March 12
This bout will be televised on the undercard of the Cotto vs. Mayorga PPV.
Foreman, a Belarusian-born Israeli boxer, is returning after being defeated for the first time in his professional career, against Miguel Cotto last June at Yankee Stadium. He lost his WBA super welterweight title that night and will be looking for another shot soon.
Wolak went 3-0 in 2010 and hasn't lost since 2008.
No. 9 Zab Judah (40-6) vs. Kaizer Mabuza (23-6-3)
When: March 5
This bout will be televised on Integrated Sports PPV.
Zab "Super" Judah returns after his close split-decision victory over the undefeated rising prospect Lucas Matthysse last November. Mabuza is coming off a sixth round stoppage win over Kendall Holt last February.
Both fighters haven't loss since 2008.
No. 8 Andy Lee (24-1) vs. Craig McEwan (19-0)
When: March 12
This bout will be televised on HBO before the Alvarez vs. Hatton match.
Andy Lee hasn't loss since 2008 when he was upset by Brian Vera, a boxer who just beat Sergio Mora three weeks ago. Lee has gone 9-0 since that fight .
McEwan holds a decision-win over Vera.
No. 7 Alexander Dimitrenko (30-1) vs. Albert Sosnowski (46-3)
When: March 26
This bout will be for a vacant European title.
Sosnowski had his highest profile match last May; a tenth round KO loss to heavyweight king Vitali Klitschko. Dimitrenko has only fought twice since 2008, going 1-1 in the process. His only defeat came at the hands of Eddie Chambers.
Dimitrenko is ranked the ninth best heavyweight in the world by Ring Magazine.
No. 6 Saul Alvarez (35-0) vs. Matthew Hatton (41-4)
When: March 5
This bout will be televised on HBO.
Saul Alvarez, candidate for 2010's "Fighter of the Year" award, went 5-0 last year. His wins include victories over Carlos Baldomir, Jose Miguel Cotto, Lovermore N'dou and Luciano Cuello. He is currently ranked as the tenth best junior welterweight by Ring Magazine.
His opponent is Ricky Hatton's younger brother, Matthew Hatton. He went 4-0 in 2010 and ended the year with a knockout victory over previously unbeaten fighter Robert Belge.
No. 5 Lucian Bute (27-0) vs. Brian Magee (34-3-1)
When: March 19
This bout will be televised on Showtime.
Bute puts his undefeated record on the line in one of the most interesting and most skilled weight classes in boxing. The super middlweight division hosts the likes of Andre Ward, Carl Froch, Arthur Abraham, Glen Johnson and Andre Dirrell. Bute is ranked second in the division by Ring Magazine.
Bute went 2-0 last year claiming knockout victories over Edison Miranda and Jesse Brinkley.
His opponent, Brian Magee, hasn't loss since 2006.
No. 4 Yuriorkis Gamboa (19-0) vs. Jorge Solis (40-2-2)
When: March 26
This bout will be televised on HBO.
Olympic Gold Medalist and WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa will defend his title and undefeated record against Jorge Solis. Solis went 3-0 in 2010 with victories over Mario Santiago and Francisco Cordero.
Gamboa is ranked second in the featherweight division behind Juan Manuel Lopez; a fighter he hopes to take on this year or in early 2012. Fights with Nonito Donaire and Chris John may also be on the horizon for the Cuban sensation.
No. 3 Miguel Cotto (35-2) vs. Ricardo Mayorga (29-7-1)
When: March 12
This bout will be televised on Showtime PPV.
After moving up to the light middleweight division, Miguel "Angel" Cotto has his sights on the bigger stars in the division.
First, he has to get through the tough and rugged Ricardo Mayorga. Mayorga has only had one fight since losing to Shane Mosley in 2008. It will be a miracle if he somehow wins this fight, but it is worth seeing if it sets up future bouts between Cotto and fighters like Alfredo Angulo and Saul Alvarez.
No. 2 Vitali Klitschko (41-2) vs. Odlanier Solis (17-0)
When: March 19
This bout will be televised on Epix.
From Cologne, Germany, WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko goes up against the undefeated Odlanier Solis. Solis went 2-0 in 2010 and won a title eliminator bout against Ray Austin in December.
Solis will be the third undefeated challenger Klitschko has faced since 2009. Klitschko defeated Kevin Johnson and Chris Arreola, giving them both their first professional defeats.
No. 1 Sergio Martinez (46-2-2) Vs. Serhiy Dziniruk (37-0)
When: March 12
This bout will be televised on HBO.
Martinez was Ring Magazine's "Fighter of the Year" in 2010. He defeated Kelly Pavlik in March and claimed an explosive knockout victory over Paul Williams in a November rematch.
His opponent, Serhiy Dziniruk, is undefeated and unknown by the general public. He presents intriguing challenges that will be witnessed for the first time by most boxing fans. His technical skills are going to be a good test for Martinez; a fighter who has speed, power and a great chin.
If Martinez makes it past Dziniruk, it's unknown what will come next. All we know is we love to see him fight.