Director: Juan Cadaveira
Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez had a title stripped from him by the powers that be. At 37, many think his best years are behind him but he’s determined to have a shot at the title again to make up for the injustice. With the help of his promoter and an iron will, Martinez begins the quest to get a rematch before it’s too late and he has to retire completely.
Maravilla is a wonderful documentary that has all the drama of the best Rocky films with an added condemnation of the politics that threaten to ruin the business. It all begins when the title gets stripped from Martinez because of a fighter that’s going to appear on HBO, and it’s clear that it’s not the best fighters that get the shots at the titles, but the ones who are going to bring in the advertising revenue. With contributions from experts and footage from press conferences, this documentary gives an interesting insight into machinations behind the scenes and really serves as an indictment to the powers that be as they seem to be completely opposed to giving Martinez his shot.
Martinez and his supporters never back down from the idea that an injustice was served, and the film follows his journey to try and improve his public image so that he is a marketable aim and the higher-ups have no justification to deny him his title shot. There’s plenty of boxing action, and the road to the title isn’t easy as the powers that be seek to put many obstacles in his way. Through the film I got a good sense of Martinez’s personality and admire him for his determination and willpower.
The tension surrounding whether he will get his shot is palpable, and as a laymen I didn’t know what the outcome would be. My only interest in boxing comes from movies and I don’t follow the sport at all, but everything is explained well and didn’t feel like there were too many things that needed clarification. It’s a powerful movie and one that I highly enjoyed.