Matthew Macklin has shelled out on the best sparring America has to offer ahead of his career-defining fight in eight days.
The Birmingham banger [pictured] meets WBC Diamond middleweight champion and pound-for-pound-rated Sergio Martinez at New York's Madison Square Garden a week tomorrow [Saturday, March 17] having tested himself in sparring with some of the USA's finest.
Though many are predicting a painful defeat for Irish-rooted Macklin on St Patrick's Day, the West Midlander is adamant that the right-leading 37-year-old California-based Argentinian is slowing down and beatable, in spite of his lofty rating [three] in the elite list of boxing's best in any weight division.
The former British and two-European champion, though, has prepared with sparring sessions with three southpaws: New Jersey's Denis Douglin, 14-1 (8), former world title challenger Sechew Powell, 26-4 (15), and 24-fight [14 stoppages] undefeated WBA world light-middleweight boss Austin Trout.
All three are at differing stages of their careers - Douglin on the way up, Powell's probably on the way down and Trout is consolidating his position as an 11st champion to be feared - and the southpaw puzzle that has beaten Macklin before, against Jamie Moore in 2006, and that Martinez had used to secure 48 wins in 52 [27 stoppages and two draws] and world titles at two weights has finally been solved.
Back with Buddy McGirt but without a British Boxing Board of Control licence, Macklin turns 30 in May and feels that his second world title opportunity, after a controversial split decision defeat against Felix Sturm for the WBA belt in Germany last year, has arrived at the perfect time in his career.
"This is my time and I've left no stone unturned when it's come to getting the best sparring around," said the ardent Birmingham City supporter from Solihull. "Getting that type of sparring doesn't come cheap but I've always looked at it as an investment and the men who have helped me prepare are world-class performers.
"I started off my camp with Denis Douglin, who is a sharp-boxing prospect from New Jersey, and then brought in world-rated Sechew Powell, who was Floyd Mayweather's chief sparring partner for the Victor Ortiz fight and has still got plenty about him despite back-to-back world title defeats in the last couple of years, to help me out mid-way through.
"I finished off with world champion Austin Trout, who has helped Martinez out with some of his pre-fight sparring before," he continued, "and gave me some of the best of the entire camp.
"That's exactly the type of preparation i needed before this and it just re-iterates my belief that i'll win next weekend," rounded-off a always-entertaining Brummie, 28-3 (19), who has a penchant for getting involved in nose-to-nose battles.
Image courtesy of Ed Diller/ DiBella Entertainment.
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