That statement alone described what Martinez has now achieved. A 35-year old champion that HBO Sports believed had potential, and a crafty fighter that Dibella felt could be better than former champions under his wing such as Bernard Hopkins and Kelly Pavlik.

And now Martinez, who earned a career high $1.5 million against Williams, is ready for the culmination of a successful career. Three fights left in him, probably at 154 and maybe a matchup with either Miguel Cotto or even eight-time division champion Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“I was mentally prepared for this,” said a jubilant Martinez about the KO, described now as knockout of the year. Hours later at a post fight victory dinner, upstairs at the Caesars Atlantic City Café Roma, Martinez was congratulated  by family, friends, members of his stable and of course Dibella who organized the gathering.

It was a rematch of their first bout that took place at Boardwalk Hall last December. Then Martinez moved up in weight. In that anticipated bout both fighters hit the canvas in the first round with Martinez losing a controversial and close 12-round decision.

But the only knockdown in this fight was the knockout of the year in boxing delivered by Martinez. It had the Boardwalk Hall crowd stunned when Martinez delivered a quick left hook to the jaw of Williams with the stoppage coming at 1:10 of round 2.

“We had it prepared and went through a lot of hard work to do that,” said Martinez in the ring wearing a customary victory crown.”I did not what the judges’ to rob me this time,” referring to the decision last December that many thought he should have had.

“One of the top three fighters in the world,” claimed Dibella about his champion. And there will be no argument about that putting Martinez in a category with Pacquiao and Mayweather.  Those could be possible future opponents for the middleweight champion, or a unification bout with Dmitry Pirog.

Martinez seeking redemption came out strong in the first round and used a good left to the body of Williams. “I was waiting for him to make a mistake,” he said about the knockout that put Williams on the canvas. The round and a half of boxing saw 56 combined connected punches of which 52 were power shots.

“We’ll fight anyone,” commented Dibella. “Let’s face it, it’s about the money.” Fights with either Mayweather or Pacquiao will guarantee big money, though the boxing fans still anticipates Pacquiao facing Mayweather that would determine who indeed is the best pound-for-pound fighter.

If there were doubts about Martinez they are now over. Before the fight he was once again the underdog, and as champion the respect was not granted when he entered the ring before the challenger Williams. His commanding win over Pavlik earlier this year and the big knockout punch Saturday night will earn him fighter of the year honors.

“I want to listen to all offers and see what comes my way, but for now I will go home and rest,” said Martinez (46-2-2, 25KO’s) of Quilmes Argentina and residing in Oxnard California. “

And now the offers will come in, because the boxing world with this stunning knockout knows that Sergio Martinez is one of the best. He also has the right guy in his corner, Dibella.

“Martinez’s speed and power in a middleweight, one of the best I ever saw,” said Dibella who has seen his share over the years as a boxing executive with HBO and as a successful promoter.

Indeed Sergio Martinez has proved he is one of the best three fighters in the world with more to come.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Martinez. (44-2, 2, 24KO’s) from Madrid Spain, the WBC Super Welterweight Champion, also knows Pavlik is anxious to get back in the ring. Martinez got his opportunity as the number one contender and Pavlik had a mandatory defense.

“It will be two different styles,” commented Martinez Wednesday afternoon at the final press conference at Gallagher’s Steak House in Manhattan. He probably worried more about my speed than my power,” he said through a translator. And when it comes to respect, all of that will be thrown away when Martinez trades punches with Pavlik.

The two fighters have been had their share of issues the past year. Pavlik was dominated by now light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins in October of 2008 and twice had to cancel his title defense against highly touted Paul Wiliams because of his hand issue.

Martinez, (44-2-2, 24KO’s) the native of Argentina achieved success in 2007 knocking out Saul Roman in a WBC super welterweight bout and one year later won the WBC interim super welterweight title with an eighth round stoppage of Alex Bunema, and late last year elevated to WBC world super welterweight champion.

Martinez though still lives with the stigma of losing a controversial non-title middleweight bout last year to former champion Paul Williams that ended a 29-bout unbeaten streak. “ I thank him (Pavlik) for giving me the opportunity, said Martinez, “and I have overcome that loss to Williams. It is an opportunity that I have to overcome the bad decision.”

Pavlik will not dispute criticism that was levied against him when he had to bail out on Williams. He understands that is a part of the boxing game. He, also was not paying much attention to the Hopkins win against Rou Jones Jr, a few weeks ago. “There’s nothing I can do about that,” he said about the criticism that Pavlik may have needed more time against a determined Williams. “I’m still the champion,” he said.

It is a mandatory fight for Pavlik who returns to Boardwalk Hall where he has success. He dethroned champion Jermaine Taylor there nearly two years ago and also handily defeated him in a rematch out in Las Vegas.  And the native of Youngstown Ohio anticipates a return to Boardwalk Hall because, a contingent of fans come from Ohio to offer their support.

“I saw Martinez’s fight against Paul Williams and I thought he won it,” commented Pavlik who says the hand is one hundred percent. “It’s great to be back in Atlantic City where I won my world titles.”

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Hopkins went to work Wednesday evening at the homecoming fight tabbed as “The Broad Street Brawl.” He last fought in his hometown in 2003 when he defended the middleweight title against Morrade Hakkar. Scores at ringside from the judges were 118-110, 120-109, and 119-109 that showed his dominance in getting his 50^th professional win. And afterwards, Hopkins claimed the fight with Jones can still be made.

“When they told me he lost, I asked ‘How did he lose,’” said Hopkins who will turn 45-years of age in seven weeks.  The former middleweight and light heavyweight champion fought Jones 17 years ago and was back in the ring after a 14-month hiatus after defeating middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik at 174 pounds.

The 29-year-old Ornales (29-6, 19 Ko’s) landed some good punches in the third round and was able to stay in there with Hopkins, but the former champion showed he can still take a punch avoiding a good right uppercut by Ornalis in the fourth round.

And in the sixth round, Hopkins briefly caught Ornalis with a good combination but he    was able to counter. But after the fourth round, Hopkins seemed to take control of the fight. He took the next three rounds by finding and using his right uppercut to his advantage.

“I blocked it out of my mind,” said Hopkins of the Jones result. To keep interest in another fight with Jones, Hopkins quickly defended Jones regarding the quick stoppage. “When you have someone like Roy Jones Jr, he deserves the benefit of the doubt,” he said. “He was fighting that guy in his hometown and I think they stopped the fight prematurely.”

Jones appeared to still be on his feet and never hit the canvas. “I think I can still fight him,” commented Hopkins about Jones. “He went out on his feet, not on his back. Let him defend himself or quit before you stop the fight.”

As for Ornalis, there was no reason for shame. He never went down and made it interesting at times. “I give him a lot of credit,” he said about Hopkins. “He’s one of the best. I know I was the underdog.  I wanted to show him just because I am smaller I wasn’t going to back up. I am really proud and I was here for the challenge,”

The question now is will the public buy a fight, a possible pay-per-view encounter of Hopkins against Jones?  Hopkins believes it can still happen, but a more intriguing possibility is Hopkins moving to the heavyweight division and challenging David Haye who was recently crowned the new WBA heavyweight champion.

WILLIAMS FACES MARTINEZ ON THE BOARDWALK:  HBO Sports salvaged the show Saturday evening at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City New Jersey and kept middleweight Paul Williams busy.  First it was supposed to be against middleweight champion Kelly Palvik for the title.

But Palvik a month ago had to be pulled because of a continuing staph infection on his right hand. In stepped New York based promoter Lou DiBella and he worked a deal with Goosen Tutor Promotions who handles Williams.  It will be Sergio Martinez (44-1) of Argentina, a DiBella fighter facing Williams, 12-rounds, on the HBO card Saturday evening

Williams, perhaps the most talented fighter in the middleweight division, will have a tough test,. He could have moved a bit up in weight and been a part of the “Super Six” Middleweight tournament that Showtime is televising.  Pavlik is still on the agenda and a win against Martinez could still make that fight happen.

The co-main event features the Mexican Cristobal Arreola facing Brian Minto. It will be Arreola’s first fight since losing to WBC heavyweight title against Vitali Klitschko. The HBO telecast begins at 9pm.

NEW YORK WLCOMES BACK FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMP LOPEZ:  Madison Square Garden, in the adjacent WaMu Theatre will once again will welcome WBO junior featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez on January 23, 2010 on an HBO televised “Boxing After Dark” telecast that will also feature WBA featherweight champion Yuriorkis Gamboa of Cuba.

Lopez and Gamboa will once again be showing their skills in separate title bouts. The hope is if both fighters prevail, Top Rank, promoters of the card will put the two in the ring at the Garden in June. The most likely date would be on the eve of the National Puerto Rican Parade in mid June. That is a date that former WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto always had.

But Cotto, resting in Puerto Rico is talking about retirement sometime next year after losing to Manny Pacquiao last month in what was the most anticipated fight of the year. “Cotto has made his money and is looking at two more fights and then leaving the ring,” said Ricardo Jimenez of Top Rank at the Lopez-Gamboa Garden press conference Thursday afternoon.

Lopez (27-0, 24 KO’s) from Caguas Puerto Rico has defended his title five times, four by knockout but had a hard time getting the tough 12-round decision at the Garden back in October against Rogers Mtagwa.  He will oppose WBO Featherweight champion Steven Luevano (37-1-1, 15 KO’s) of La Puente California.  Mtagwa (26-13, 2, 18KO’s) a top ten featherweight takes on the 16-0 undefeated Gamboa in the co main event, a 12-round fight for the title.

“I am not looking ahead,” commented Lopez when asked about an eventual fight with Gamboa.   He commented that his last fight in New York against Mtagwa was harder than expected. “I have to do better,” he said.  “I love fighting at the Garden. I come to fight all the time.”  And that means doing his part and possibly setting up the eventual fight with Gamboa.

Throwing the punches: Top Rank promote Bob Arum had a legitimate reason and a good one to not be at his press conference in New York Thursday, He was busy in the Philipinnes and successful getting his welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao to agree and fight Floyd Mayweather Jr, for the title.

Earlier this week, Mayweather, who will also be a promoter of the fight, dispatched Golden Boy Promoter Richard Schaffer to meet Arum and Mayweather agreed. So the Oscar De La Hoya Golden Boy outfit will also be involved in the fight one way or the other.

The date set is March 13 on HBO pay-per-view and could set the all-time boxing PPV record, also becoming a fight more anticipated and coming with more hype than the recent Pacquiao-Cotto championship bout.  What remains is who gets what, with Mayweather obviously looking to get the better deal.

The other obstacle is where the fight will take place.  New York is out of the picture. Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium in the Bronx are not possible venues as promoters refuse to deal with the ridiculous tax structure that promoters and HBO will have to deal with.

There has been talk about the new stadium in Dallas where the football Cowboys play, but a leading source at Tip Rank said Thursday that the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, site of the Pacquiao-Cotto fight is the leading contender to play host. Vegas offers the free rooms and meals, has plenty of accommodations, and the Nevada tax structure is so much easier to work with.

The difference is not having this fight in New York will give promoters, the pay-per-view affiliates, fighters and trainers 50 percent more of the revenue that would otherwise go to the stingy and corrupt New York State government tax system. ..

Maybe because it is close to an end of the year thing but on the ridiculous side because boxing kills itself by events of the past week with the amount of press conferences, teleconference media calls, and fights.  Two press conferences in New York this week, the Hopkins fight in Philadelphia, another show in Manhattan Thursday night, and the Williams fight in Atlantic City Saturday,

The promoters earlier this year formed an alliance and said they would get on the same page.  Yeah, not for the boxing fan and the media who cover this stuff. Because we either have nothing or too much,

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

Two major league punchers put on an electrifying show tonight, with the loser showing commendable class in the aftermath.

Phil Williams, a Queens-born barber in north Minneapolis, improved his record to 11-1 with 10 knockouts by TKOing tough veteran Antwun Echols (now 31-11 with 27 wins by knockout) in a thrilling super middleweight bout tonight.  Both men fought with passion and abandon, each throwing all his best shots at his opponent.

Williams had the best of the early going, repeatedly landing power shots from both hands.  But Echols, who has fallen short in world title matches with Bernard Hopkins and Roman Karmazin, among others, showed tremendous grit in sticking it out and hurting Williams with some breathtaking right hands in the third and fourth rounds.

Williams, whose only career loss came last summer to 19-0 prospect Marcus Oliveria, showed this time that he has the toughness and resilience to endure such shots.  In the sixth and seventh tonight Williams threw everything he had at Echols, and though Echols was game, his corner showed admirable discretion in throwing in the towel in the seventh when Williams had rocked Echols twice with thunderous combinations and was chasing his prey into a neutral corner to finish him off.

Given an opportunity to speak after the bout had ended, Echols advised the Minnesota crowd, “I was in with Bernard Hopkins and he couldn’t do nothing with me.  This man is for real. When it comes time for him to make a step up, he’s going to be the man!”

In other bouts on tonight’s card:

• Boxing Digest prospect of the month for April 2009 Caleb “Golden” Truax (12-0 with 8 kayos) won a boring 8-round jabfest against Durrell Richardson of Youngstown, Ohio.
• Marcus Oliveria of Kansas (19-0 with 15 kayos) knocked former reality TV star Otis Griffin out cold in the second round. Griffin, a former reality TV boxing star whose record is now 19-6, was effectively jabbing from the outside until Oliveria caught him with a perfect right uppercut.
• Thomas Snow of Washington DC (11-1 with 8 kayos) beat highly touted prospect Willshaun Boxley of Coon Rapids, Minnesota (now 5-1 with 3 kayos) in a six-round bout.
• Michael Faulk, a Queens native making his professional debut, defeated Mexico’s Marvin Rodriguez (1-2) by majority decision in a four-round bout.
• Ismail “Sharp Shooter” Muwendo of Kampala, Uganda (3-0 with 2 kayos), defeated Josh Jungjohann (0-2) in a scary first-round knockout. When Jungjohann went down for the second time in the first round, his head and neck landed on the bottom rope and whiplashed upward. Jungjohann was able to rise after about two minutes, and was expected to be taken to a hospital for an MRI.