“Not only do I believe I could compete, I believe I could actually win,” Martinez said after the fight.
That call lands at a time when Canelo’s next move is still open. He hasn’t fought since his loss to Terence Crawford last September, but a return tied to Mexican Independence Day weekend is already being discussed. No opponent has been confirmed.
At this point, the best and perhaps only chance Lester has of getting a fight against Canelo is if the Mexican star defeats WBC 168-lb champion Christian Mbilli in September. The way Canelo performed against Crawford, getting past Mbilli to fight Lester are unlikely.
Martinez is one of several names trying to enter that conversation. Chris Eubank Jr has been mentioned for a potential stadium fight in the UK. Hamzah Sheeraz is another option being floated. A rematch with Dmitry Bivol remains a possibility as well, depending on how those talks develop. Martinez’s push comes from a different position.
He drew with Christian Mbilli in his previous outing and followed it with a controlled win over Aleem. His trainer, Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, added to the momentum during fight week by comparing him to Marvin Hagler, raising expectations before the fight even began.
Saturday’s result kept him active in the mix, but it didn’t separate him from the group chasing bigger fights. That hasn’t stopped him from aiming at the biggest one. Canelo hasn’t named his opponent yet. Until he does, fighters will keep putting their names forward. Martinez made sure his was one of them.
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