Martinez Tops in Middleweight Title Fight
By Journal's all-purpose sports report.
6:41 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Welcome to the Wall Street Journal blog of the Julio Cesar Chavez vs Sergio Martinez bout.
Chavez will be defending for the WBC middleweight crown, one that Martinez relinquished but is eager to reclaim.
There are of course myriad governing bodies in boxing today, otherwise known as alphabet soup, WBC, WBA, WBO, IBO, IBF . Each has its own rankings and champions. To make matters worse, there is a different weight division and champion every few pounds – e.g. light welterweight, welterweight – super-welter weight. So titles don’t mean what they used to when there were only 8 weight classes and 8 title belts. Still, Martinez who is recognized by the Bible of Boxing, Ring Magazine, as the middleweight world champion badly wants his WBC belt back.
On top of that, he simply does not like Chavez Jr. Over and over again, Martinez has insisted that the only reason Chavez has a belt and is in a mega fight like this is because he is the son of the icon Julio Cesar Chavez.
These two boxers do not like one another. Martinez has been promising to knock Chavez Jr. out and to shut his mouth. The other day, Chavez told Martinez,"I'm not only going to beat you, I'm going to retire you. This Saturday, I'm going to retire you from boxing!"
Often times the animosity is staged in boxing. Drama, white hats and black hats, good guys and bad, sell tickets but these two guys are cut from different cloths and really don’t like or, I think, respect one another.
Martinez, who was an elite soccer player and professional cyclist, has been training like a madman and as always, will be in great condition. Chavez has missed sessions here and there and irked his trainer Freddie Roach. There was some concern that Chavez would not make the weight but at the weighin yesterday he was two pounds under the limit at 158. Martinez came in at 159. They were in each others faces at and some boxing scribes have expressed concern that Martinez or “Maravilla” as he is known will be too amped up for this fight.
Sergio Gabriel Martinez was born and raised in the barrios of Buenos Aires but moved to Spain to cultivate his boxing skills. He had no amateur fights and in one of his two losses, he was stopped by Antonio Margarito and received a paycheck of a mere 900 dollars. Tonight he is guaranteed 1.5 million.
Martinez, who is 37, boasts a record 49-2-2, with 28 KOs. Many boxing experts rank him in the top three of the pound for pound best in the world. He has won his last 4 bouts by stoppages. A southpaw, he fights a very unorthodox style with his hands held low, moving in and out. But make no mistake about it, he can punch as well as he can move. In November of 2010, he turned the black lights out on the formidable Paul Williams with one straight left. I was ringside that night and believe me, everyone was worried about Paul Williams that night.
Since then, Williams has been involved in a terrible motorcycle accident and is fighting to be able to walk again. Everyone in boxing circles, most certainly including Sergo Martinez, is in Williams corner.
At 26, Chavez is undefeated with a record of 46-0-1 with 32 KOs. He has not, however, fought anything close to the opposition that Martinez has faced. Chavez’s biggest win came against Andy Lee in El Paso in June. He walked through some huge shots to register a 7th round TKO in that exciting bout.
Martinez is the matador and Chavez the bull in this one- of that there can be no doubt. Chavez has a granite chin and does tremendous body work. He thinks he will be too big and strong for Martinez and that he will be able to brush off any of Martinez’s punches.
We will begin to see where the truth lies in a few minutes.
7:32 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
On the undercard tonight Guillermo Rigondeaux won a unanimous decision over Robert Marroquin. Rigondeaux who was defending his super bantamweight title has been described by Freddie Roach as the best defensive fighter he has ever seen. Rigondeaux is a marvel of technique and speed but Marroquin rocked him twice tonight, perhaps raising questions about his chin.
Matthew Macklin who was stopped by Sergio Martinez in March of this year scored a spectacular one round ko over Joachim Alcine.
7:35 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Martinez is 5’10 inches with a 75 inch reach. Chavez is 6’ with a 70 inch reach but Chavez has a broader frame and is the naturally bigger man.
Interestingly enough Brother Nasim Richardson, Shane Mosley’s trainer, wrapped Martinez’s mitts tonight.
Richardson was of course the one who caught Margarito with his loaded handwraps. He is a maestro of the sweet science. An amazing guy to sit down and talk with. I could listen to him for hours.
7:50 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
They just showed a shot of Richardson watching Chavez get wrapped.
Cesar Chavez, Chavez jr.'s iconic dad, is broadcasting to Mexico tonight. he has been very active in his son's camp with advice. Chavez sr was an amazing fighter who won 107 of 115 fights. He could stay in a guys chest the whole night -- never getting to close to smother his punches. His son tries to fight the same kind of style.
We are in round 7 of the final bout on the undercard - a great fight between Beltran and Rocky Martinez. Maybe 20 minutes before the main event.
7:54 pmPre-matchby Gordon Marino
I train boxers and I can tell you there is nothing like that time right before a fight when there’s only one bout to go and you’re up next. You hear the crowd screaming upstairs. You’re trying to get loose by hitting the pads but you don’t want to get tired, and you don’t know how long that bout before yours is going to last.
7:54 pmPre-Match by Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
They just showed a clip of Sergio Martinez going through some forced leg stretches. He's an incredibly mobile fighter and has to be very loose.
7:55 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
HBO commentator Emanuel Steward is out ill tonight. We're all thinking of him and miss him.
A few weeks ago, Emanuel told me he was really surprised how good Chavez has gotten and how strong he was against his fighter, Andy Lee.
Now they're showing Chavez doing yoga-like stretches; not something you would have seen in the old days from Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta.
7:58 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
The Beltran vs (Rocky) Martinez fight going on right now is a war. Incredible action.
8:03 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
The main event should start in about 15 minutes.
Down the block, at the MGM Grand, on the undercard of Alvarez vs Lopez, knockout artist Marcos Maidana stopped Jesus Soto-Karass in the 8 round.
8:04 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Both Chavez and Martinez got late starts as boxers. Martinez had no amateur experience and began boxing when he was about 20. Chavez made his professional debut at 17 and without any amateur background. So both these guys did a lot of their learning as professionals.
8:07 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Boxing is a hard sport to start late because it takes a long time to judge distance between yourself and the other boxer.
De La Hoya and many other ring stars got started at 3 or 4 years old, though heavyweights almost always get started late, sometimes because they're playing other sports.
8:09 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Undercard is over. Winner by split decision: Rocky Martinez.
8:11 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Almost ready to get started. Chavez is a notoriously slow starter who likes to maul his opponents and wear them down.
Martinez is always busy, always moving and has a great right jab, straight left, right jab combination that he uses all the time.
8:15 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Martinez is a southpaw, which means he leads with his right and Chavez is an orthodox boxers, which means he leads with his left. When you have a southpaw and an orthodox boxer against one another, there is a lot of danger of them banging heads. Also they're both be trying to get their lead foot outside of the lead foot of their opponent.
Oftentimes when you have a righty against a lefty their jabs are neutralized.
They're now singing the national anthem of Argentina.
8:16 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Martinez is hitting the pads in his locker room. Here we go with the Mexican national anthem.
8:16 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Belinda is singing the Mexican anthem.
8:17 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Boxing rings run between 18 and 22 feet. Not sure what the ring size is tonight, but I know Chavez likes a small ring.
8:17 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Freddy Roach is giving some last minute pointers to Chavez about counterpunching.
8:18 pmPre-matchby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
One thing is for sure -- no one doubts Chavez's power.
They're now singing the US national anthem.
8:20 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Back to the power issue: After his fight with Chavez, Andy Lee said he hit like a 500 pound guy. Perhaps beneath that were some intonations of Chavez's juicing, though his tests have always come up clean.
8:21 pmPre-match by Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Martinez is getting ready to come into the ring. He looks loose. He is very patient, persistent and has a good boxing IQ.
8:22 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Martinez has dealt with other big punchers, in particular, Kelly Pavlik who he beat to win the middleweight title.
8:24 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Martinez can get off balance and as a result has been knocked down before.
8:25 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Martinez is coming into the arena now. He enters the ring.
8:28 pmPre-matchby Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Here comes Chavez with his father leading the way! His father looks like he's ready to fight. The old man was probably the greatest fighter in Mexican history. He looks like he's ready to go again tonight.
8:31 pmPre-match by Gordon Marino
Chavez just entered the ring.
Tony Weeks is the referee tonight -- very experienced and competent.
Michael Buffer is getting ready to give us his "Let's Get Ready to Rumble!"
8:32 pmPre-matchby Gordon Marino
The intros are over. Here we go.
8:36 pmRound 1 by Gordon Marino
Center ring. Martinez is jabbing. Crowd is screaming Chavez.
Martinez lands a left. Martinez lands a left to the body. Martinez is dropping his hands and circling to his left. Lands a left to Chavez. Chavez misses. Martinez lands two jabs.
8:38 pmRound 1: Martinez 10-9by Gordon Marino
Martinez lands a left. Chavez misses with a hook. Martinez lands a jab and a left hand. Martinez is standing right in front of Chavez. Martinez has his hands down at his waist. Chavez throws a right to the body. Martinez lands a left right to the head and left to the body.
8:39 pmRound 2 part 1 by Gordon Marino
Center ring. Martinez lands a jab and a l eft hand. Chavez lands a left hook to the body. Martinez landing jabs. Chavez is coming forward. Martinez lands a left and a right. Chavez laughs at him. Now Chavez is going to the body. Martinez lands a left right to the head. Martinez standing right in front of Chavez with his hands at his knees.
8:40 pmRound 2: Martinez 10-9 by Gordon Marino
Martinez lands a right to the head and left to the body. Chavez has Martinez in the corner. He's working the body andl ands a good left hook to the body. Martinez lands a right to the head, left to the body. Martinez lands another right left combination.
Martinez is throwing all the punches. Martinez lands another left.
8:42 pmRound 3 part 1 by Gordon Marino
Martinez lands a jab and a left to the body. Martinez throwing about twice as many punches as Chavez so far. Chavez misses with a big right, has Martinez against the ropes. Martinez showing a lot of lateral movement.
Chavez stalking Martinez. Martinez lands left uppercut.
8:44 pmRound 3: 10-9 Martinez by Gordon Marino
Martinez taunting Chavez now. Martinez lands right to head, left to the body. Good hard left from Martinez. Chavez's mouth is bleeding, lands left hook to the body. Fighting in close now. Martinez lands a three punch combination and left uppercut, another left uppercut.
8:47 pmRound 4: Part 1 by Gordon Marino
Martinez lands a 1-2 combination. They're standing center ring, Martinez is amped up, throws a good left.
Chavez lands a left hook. Martinez jabbing. Chavez lands a right. They're head to head right now. Martinez lands a left down the middle.
8:49 pmRound 4: 10-9 Martinez by Gordon Marino
Chavez goes to the body, lands a hard right. Martinez is on the ropes. Chavez working in close. Chavez misses a big left hook. Martinez landed 1-2 combinations, in close. Chavez lands a left uppercut to the head. Trading inside.
Going head to head inside. Martinez lands hard right to the body. Chavez lands a good right. Great left at the end of the round by Martinez.
8:50 pmRound 5: Part 1 by Gordon MarinoAdd a Comment
Martinez jabbing. Martinez lands a 1-2 combination. Martinez is nailing Chavez with his jab. Martinez lands a hard left to the head. Martinez shoots two lefts to the body.
8:53 pmRound 5:10-9 Martinez by Gordon Marino
Chavez has barely thrown a punch this round so far. Martinez lands a jab to the head and left to the body. On the ropes.
Chavez lands a right to the head, but Martinez spins and is out in center ring again. Chavez lands right to the body. So far this round Martinez has landed 25 punches to Chavez's 6. That's the story of the fight so far.
8:54 pmRound 6: Part 1 by Gordon Marino
Martinez lands a 1-2 combination. Martinez has his hands at his knees moving left and right. Chavez lands a jab.
Martinez lands a jab. Chavez lands some body shots at the ropes, but in center ring again.
8:57 pmRound 6: 10-9 Martinez by Gordon Marino
On the ropes. Chavez lands a left hook to the head. Fighting inside. Chavez lands a right hand. Lands a good body shot. Martinez comes back with a flurry. Chavez's nose is bleeding. Chavez is jabbing more, punching harder, but Martinez is too quick. They're working on the ropes, Martinez gets the best of the exchange on the ropes.
8:59 pmRound 7: Part 1 by Gordon Marino
Last round was Chavez's best -- he landed 28 punches to Martinez's 34.
Martinez's mouth is open -- that's always dangerous.
Martinez does all the work in the first part of the round. Lands three lefts in a row. Chavez lands a jab.
They exchange jabs. Martinez lands a string of jabs.
9:01 pmRound 7: 10-9 Martinez by Gordon Marino
Martinez landds left to the body. left hook to the body, left to the head. Martinez is firing shot after shot. Lands a big left to the head. Martinez drives Chavez into the ropes and lands a series to combinations and left to the head. Martinez is beating up Chavez right now! Martinez is back in the ropes, lands a right left combination.
9:02 pmRound 8: Part 1 by Gordon Marino
Exchanging jabs in center ring. Chavez now keeping his hands high. Martinez is popping that jab, lands left to the head.
Martinez is flying around the ring, jabbing Chavez. Chavez not letting his hands go unless he is close in.
9:05 pmRound 8: 10-9 Martinez by Gordon Marino
Chavez tentative with his jab -- when he throws it. Chavez lands a right, but Martinez comes back with a 2 punch combination. Martinez working the body hard. Chavez lands a jab. On the ropes. Chavez lands a hook to the body.
Martinez spins off the ropes. There's some blood around Martinez's left eye.
9:07 pmRound 9: Part 1 by Gordon Marino
Martinez has a cut over his left eye. Martinez comes out landing jabs. Chavez throws a 1-2. They're in close now. Chavez lands a jab, Martinez lands a 1-2 combination. Martinez is punching and moving the whole time. Chavez needs a knockout to win. Martinez lands a left to the head. Chavez lands a left jab, misses a left hook to the body.
9:09 pmRound 9: 10-9 Martinez by Gordon Marino
Martinez lands a series of jabs and straight lefts. Chavez misses with a big right. Martinez has his hands at his knees.
Martinez lands right to the head, left to the body. Chavez is not doing anything. Chavez won't let his hands go.
Martinez lands a good left down the middle. Chavez lands a left hook at the end of round, but it's easily Martinez's round.
9:11 pmRound 10: Part 1 by Gordon Marino
Martinez comes out firing again. Martinez has thrown about 20 punches in the first 20 seconds. He feints and then moves to the side, getting the angles on Chavez. Chavez throws a 1-2 combination but misses with a right. Martinez lands a low blow and apologizes. Chavez lands a left to the head. They just accidentially bang heads. Tap gloves.
9:13 pmRound 10: 10-9 Martinez by Gordon Marino
Martinez lands some hard lefts to the head. Bouncing around. Martinez lands hard right, Chavez a left.
Martinez slipped to the canvas and lands a combination. He yells at Chavez to fight.
9:15 pmRound 11: Part 1 by Gordon Marino
Between rounds, Roach is trying to get Chavez to let his hands go and punch when Martinez is punching.
Chavez lands a good right, but Martinez comes back. Chavez lands a right. Chavez looks more aggressive this round, but Martinez still moving.
9:17 pmRound 11: 10-9 Martinez by Gordon Marino
Martinez lands three lefts down the middle. Chavez misses with a big right, lands a right. Martinez responds with a flurry.
Chavez lands a right, another right but Martinez comes back with flurries. Chavez shaking his head. Martinez's face is covered with blood. Chavez making more of an effort this round. Chavez lets his left hooks go. Better round for Chavez and took some chances, Martinez landed twice as many punches as Chavez.
9:22 pmRound 12: 10-8 Chavez by Gordon Marino
Martinez throws a left down the middle. Standing center ring, Martinez like a picador, is lancing Chavez.
Chavez is banging at Martinez on the ropes. Martinez will have a hard time making it through this round. Martinez comes back with a 1-2 combination. Chavez lands right, a left hook, another hook, Martinez and Chavez exchanging blows at the end.
WHAT A FINISH!
9:28 pmPost-match: Martinez defeats Chavezby Gordon Marino
Chavez hurt Martinez with a huge right, and two left hooks to knock Martinez down. We're waiting for the official decision.
Scorecards: 117-110; 118-109; 118-109
Martinez by unanimous decision. Martinez fought a brilliant fight, but I have to give it to Chavez. He made a tremendous effort at the end.
I think they respect each other more than they did before they started. 321 punches landed by Martinez to 178 punches landed by Chavez.
9:51 pmRecap by Gordon Marino
But make no mistake about it -- Martinez demonstrated the same will to win. He did not try to sit on his huge lead but was as active as ever in the final frame. At the end of the night Martinez acknowledged that Chavez was tough and had a great heart. He also let it be known that he would be happy to grant him a rematch. Chavez, whose eyes were both swollen, indicated that he thought he deserved a another shot. When asked how a second fight might be different, he promised, “ I will get started earlier.”
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