Boxing News Boxing News
After 12 years as a professional boxer, Sergio Martinez finally got his opportunity to contend for a full world title and made the most of the opportunity, wresting the WBC and WBO belts from top middleweight Kelly Pavlik at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall.
The 35 year old southpaw showed excellent footwork in the early rounds and proved to be a difficult target for Pavlik, countering the champion’s misses with snappy single shots.
But Pavlik found his tempo by the fourth, keeping Martinez at the end of the jab and landing his vaunted long right hand. Martinez continued to make Pavlik work hard for the ground gained and despite seventh round knockdown of the challenger in the seventh, the champion was out of energy by the later rounds.
Martinez responded by upping his activity and taking control of the bout, putting Pavlik on the defensive behind well chosen combinations that had the champion at a loss.
Pavlik began to show the effects of the damage, absorbing bad cuts over both eyes but continuing on, only to lose a 116-111, 115-112 and 115-111 unanimous decision.
Martinez becomes the new WBC and WBO middleweight champion, improving to 45-2-2 (24), while Pavlik drops to 36-2 (32).
The undercard featured NABA welterweight king Mike Jones, 21-0 (17), adding the NABO belt by stopping Hector Munoz, 18-3-1 (11), in the fifth.
Look for Robert Brizel’s ringside report, coming soon.
