Sergio Martinez is the new Middleweight Champion

April 18th, 2010

Buenos Aires, Argentina’s Sergio Martinez (45-2-2, 23 KO’s) dethroned defending middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KO’s) Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Official scores had Martinez winning 115-111, 116-111 and 115-112 in favor of Martinez. 8countnews.com scored the fight in favor of Martinez 115-112.

In round two, Martinez landed the best punch of the night up until that point with an overhand left 45 seconds into the frame. He then grew visibly more comfortable as the round progressed by dropping his hands and picking Pavlik off with right hands at will.

(Photo: Ed Anderson 8CN)

Round three was more of the same. In the fourth, Martinez began to taunt Pavlik by shrugging his shoulders at him and even winding up his left hand in a cartoon like manner at one point.

In the fifth, Pavlik began to show some life. His overhand right began to find its mark on Martinez’s face and the challenger would nod and acknowledge the punch each time it landed. A left thrown by Pavlik also staggered Martinez backwards much to the pro Pavlik crowd’s delight.

(Photo: Ed Anderson 8CN)

In the sixth, the champion was able to effectively pressure Martinez. Martinez’s body language suggested the fight was getting more serious as he was dancing less and keeping his hands up.

In the seventh, Pavlik really began to come on landing a right hand that sent Martinez to the canvas. Martinez would close the round slipping to the canvas appearing tired. In the 8th, Pavlik continued to look fresh while Martinez face was beginning to show the effects of being hit by Pavlik’s punches.

(Photo: Ed Anderson 8CN)

In the eight, Martinez started to take back the fight landing combinations to Pavlik’s face, to which Pavlik responded by inviting him in for more. At rounds end, Pavlik was bleeding under his right eye from absorbing all the combinations from the previous three minutes and Martinez was back to clowning and smiling.

Between the ninth and tenth rounds, Pavlik’s corner did as best a job as they could at stopping the bleeding under his right eye, however as the tenth frame came to a conclusion Martinez not only forced the blood flow to begin once again on the right side of Pavlik’s face but opened up a new cut on the outside of his left eye.

(Photo: Ed Anderson 8CN)

In the eleventh, Pavlik was in a more defensive posture for much of Martinez’s offensive outbursts and the Argentina native was able to win the round. Martinez had a good twelfth round and ended the fight by enthusiastically jumping onto the ropes and raising his hands for the crowd. Pavlik managed to lift one arm up as he walked back to his corner with his face a crimson mask.

(Photo: Ed Anderson 8CN)

(Photo: Ed Anderson 8CN)