Marvelous Martinez eyes shot at American rival Mayweather

World middleweight champion Sergio Martinez would like a shot at Floyd Mayweather but said on Monday he would not lose sleep trying to pin down the elusive American.

"Mayweather skirts around things, so it's complicated to focus on going after him," the 37-year-old southpaw known as "Maravilla" (Marvel) said on a his first return home to Argentina since winning the title.

"I must look for my own path, and if Mayweather appears, that will be phenomenal," said Martinez, who beat Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr for the WBC crown in Las Vegas last month.

"For me, there's no doubt he's the best boxer in the world. I always want to face the best, it would be a great opportunity for me," he said at the Caesar Park hotel in Buenos Aires.

Mayweather is an undefeated fighter with titles in five divisions.

Before fighting again, though, Martinez needs to fully recover from a left-hand injury and also have a knee operation.

"My left hand is improving well, but it still hurts a bit because I had two fractures that have welded well," he said. "With my knee, I need to keep working with my doctor to prepare for an operation on Nov 12."

Martinez, who has emerged at the very top of boxing late in his career after a decade climbing the ladder in Spain, said he expected to be fully fit to fight again next April.

"I'll be ready to fight from April, I'll need two weeks (to recover) after the operation, I'm nearly 38 and it's not the same to have an operation as it is when you're 20," he said. "I'm confident that after that my body will be 100 percent.

"I'm not looking at any rival, today I'm the objective and I have to work twice as hard as before to defend this world championship I've got."

"I try not to have contact with other boxers, the offers will come soon, in the next month and a half, and then I'll have to decide who I choose (to fight)."

Martinez said he would fight at least once in Argentina though he was not sure when or whether it would be his last bout before retiring.

(China Daily 10/24/2012 page22)