Sergio Martinez will have a new face in his corner on Saturday night when he faces Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Las Vegas—veteran trainer Naazim Richardson.
Richardson is best known for his stints training former world champions Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley. Perhaps more importantly, he is known as the man who stopped Felix Trinidad from illegally wrapping his hands before facing Hopkins in 2001.
Richardson was also the man who blew the lid off of the Antonio Maragarito scandal when he found illegal inserts in his hand wraps before facing Shane Mosley in 2009.
When asked by BoxingScene.com why Richardson was brought in at this late stage, Martinez adviser Sampson Lewkowicz was blunt.
"We didn't want to take any chances. We are taking every precaution before this fight. We don't want another Antonio Margarito to happen," Lewkowicz told BoxingScene.com.
"We are taking every measure to ensure that Sergio Martinez receives a fair fight."
Team Chavez Jr. has not yet responded to these comments. Chavez Jr. is trained by legendary trainer and International Boxing Hall-of-Famer, Freddie Roach.
Martinez's current trainer, Pablo Sarmiento, will still work the corner on Saturday night but he will be assisted by Richardson. Richardson will also reportedly be the man present when Chavez Jr. has his hands wrapped before the fight.
Sergio Martinez will challenge Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for the WBC middleweight championship Saturday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The fight will be broadcasted by HBO PPV.
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