Martinez: I know that I have to push myself to be the best fighter

Photo by Chris Farina/ Top Rank

Martinez – Fighting with injuries (knee, elbow, wrist), how hard is it to prepare when your body hurts for any fight? 

A: It is not easy to prepare for a fight when you have some of the ailments that I have when preparing for a World Championship fight. I struggle with joint pains, knee pain, and shoulder pain. Without my physical therapist, Dr. Raquel Bordons, I would not be able to train today, and probably would’ve had to retire due to my injuries.

Because I train 6 days a week for an average of 8 hours a day, I am always in constant pain. There are some days when I am so sore that I cannot even walk but I push myself because I know that I have to push myself to be the best fighter in the world. I know that I have to put in more hours than your average fighter because I didn’t grow up a boxer. I started very late in this sport, so that is why I have to train so many hours and put in a lot of work in order to perform at the level that is expected of me and for me to come out victorious.

“2 Days: Sergio Martinez” premieres Saturday, May 24 at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

HBO’s Emmy-Award-winning series “24/7 Cotto/Martinez” premieres Saturday, May 31 at 11:15 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Cotto vs. Martinez happens Saturday, June 7 live on pay-per-view beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.