Gamer
11-21-2010, 05:34 AM
c/p By Jake Donovan
In a year that lacked creativity and a true marquee fight, Sergio Martinez gave the sport several things – a bona fide candidate for Knockout and Fighter of the year, not to mention a long overdue “Oh S(p)it” moment, all in one night, and with a single punch.
A devastating straight left hand by Martinez put division-hopping Paul Williams down and out for the count at 1:10 of the second round in their middleweight championship Saturday evening at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The defending champion Martinez weighed in at 157.25 lb, while Williams came in at 156 lb, both comfortably under the contracted 158 lb. catchweight limit.
There was concern all week about how Martinez would handle losing so much weight in such a short span, on the heels of reports that he weighed higher than expected during 30-day and 7-day pre-fight weight checks.
The Argentinean allowed no time for that matter to ever become a concern, coming out aggressive from the opening bell and never letting up until the night was through.
It turned out that all he would need was four minutes to take care of business.
The sudden and shocking ending to the fight was in stark contrast to their first fight in the very same town eleven months ago, where both fighters traded opening round knockdowns en route to a tightly contested Fight of the Year candidate barely won by Williams via controversial majority decision.
The three ringside judges never factored into the equation on Saturday, in fact barely earning their paychecks in Martinez’ first defense of the middleweight crown he wrested from Kelly Pavlik early this year.
Martinez seemingly couldn’t miss with his left hand in the opening round, though it was surmised that such a strategy might perfectly play into the hands of Williams, who can bang as well as he can box. Both fighters enjoyed offensive success in the first, though Martinez’ straight lefts and right hooks were clearly the difference.
Despite falling behind after three minutes, Williams received praise and encouragement from his longtime trainer George Peterson, who asked for greater activity and to not pardon the body.
It may have well been sound advice, and not for a lack of trying that Williams wasn’t able to make it work. But when you leave yourself open to give a fighter of Martinez’ ilk to capitalize on any given mistake, chances are that you will ultimately pay.
The vision of Williams motionless on the canvas for ten seconds and beyond is all the proof you need.
An exchange in mid-ring suggested a possible start to the Fight of the Year candidate that many among the estimated 5,500 in attendance were expecting to transpire.
Instead, the Knockout of the Year was delivered, by the man who will undoubtedly go down as everyone’s Fighter of the Year come December 31.
A blistering straight left hand found its way to Williams’ unprotected chin, causing the South Carolina native to fold over and crumble to the canvas.
“I waited for him to make a mistake,” Martinez calmly stated of the shot heard ‘round the boxing world. “He left me a lot of room to let me land that punch.”
In giving up so much room, Williams also ran out of time immediately thereafter. He never came close to beating referee Earl Morton’s ten count, instead forced to lie down while receiving immediate medical attention.
“I just caught with a punch,” Williams (38-2, 27KO) admitted shortly after suffering the first knockout loss of his career. It was also just the second time he has been dropped as a pro, both times coming at the free-swinging fists of Martinez. “I came into fight, and he just caught me with a clean punch.”
With the sudden ending, Martinez clinches honors as the standout fighter in a 2010 boxing year that sorely lacked leadership.
The win comes eight months after ending the two-plus year middleweight title reign of Kelly Pavlik, which – along with his first fight with Williams – was fought in this very same arena.
The venue once belonged to the late Arturo Gatti, who singlehandedly resuscitated the Atlantic City boxing scene. It was thought that Pavlik would carry the torch soon thereafter, but his title reign – despite serving as a lengthy one – turned out to be one of the sport’s greatest letdowns in recent memory.
Martinez’ current run in the gambling town is anything but disappointing. In a span of 11 months, he has delivered three standout performances, the most recent feat exacting revenge against an old adversary as he advances to 46-2-2 (25KO).
More so than becoming boxing’s very own one-man Boardwalk Empire, Martinez is now in a position of power as he sits atop one of the most storied divisions in the history of the sport.
The only question is what’s next?
With his neighbors eight pounds north tied up in tournaments and other contractual obligations, it’s unlikely that Martinez finds his way into the super middleweight mix anytime soon. The ongoing problem in the division in which he rules with an iron fist is the lack of talent beyond the top level.
The majority of formidable challenges – Felix Sturm, Sebastian Sylvester and Dmitry Pirog chief among them – exist overseas, which always seems to be sticking point when it comes to the dollars making sense for any top middleweight bout.
It’s easy to claim that Martinez is in the driver’s seat, but he’s far too humble and classy to have to force anyone’s hand. Instead, he’s willing to kick back and calmly survey the landscape, in hopes that somewhere out there awaits a lucrative opportunity.
“I want to hear offers and see what comes my way.”
The excuse offered for Saturday’s middleweight title fight being fought at a maximum weight of 158 was because Williams claimed to want to be as light as possible in hopes of dropping back down to welterweight for a high profile fight with either Manny Pacquiao or –should he ever return to the ring – Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Now that such an opportunity- farfetched to begin with - remains a pipe dream, the very same hypotheticals were proposed to Martinez, who knows that he’d have to weigh even lighter for a fight against either.
“I don’t have any problem fighting either one of them but would have to hear the offer. A catchweight of 156 pounds would be fine, but I would have to hear offers.”
Instead, all he has to hear from now until year’s end are the accolades that come with being recognized as the year’s best fighter, delivering the year’s best knockdown and – on a night in which stiff competition was offered on the tube from U F C – giving the sport of boxing a much needed shot in the arm.
In a year that lacked creativity and a true marquee fight, Sergio Martinez gave the sport several things – a bona fide candidate for Knockout and Fighter of the year, not to mention a long overdue “Oh S(p)it” moment, all in one night, and with a single punch.
A devastating straight left hand by Martinez put division-hopping Paul Williams down and out for the count at 1:10 of the second round in their middleweight championship Saturday evening at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
The defending champion Martinez weighed in at 157.25 lb, while Williams came in at 156 lb, both comfortably under the contracted 158 lb. catchweight limit.
There was concern all week about how Martinez would handle losing so much weight in such a short span, on the heels of reports that he weighed higher than expected during 30-day and 7-day pre-fight weight checks.
The Argentinean allowed no time for that matter to ever become a concern, coming out aggressive from the opening bell and never letting up until the night was through.
It turned out that all he would need was four minutes to take care of business.
The sudden and shocking ending to the fight was in stark contrast to their first fight in the very same town eleven months ago, where both fighters traded opening round knockdowns en route to a tightly contested Fight of the Year candidate barely won by Williams via controversial majority decision.
The three ringside judges never factored into the equation on Saturday, in fact barely earning their paychecks in Martinez’ first defense of the middleweight crown he wrested from Kelly Pavlik early this year.
Martinez seemingly couldn’t miss with his left hand in the opening round, though it was surmised that such a strategy might perfectly play into the hands of Williams, who can bang as well as he can box. Both fighters enjoyed offensive success in the first, though Martinez’ straight lefts and right hooks were clearly the difference.
Despite falling behind after three minutes, Williams received praise and encouragement from his longtime trainer George Peterson, who asked for greater activity and to not pardon the body.
It may have well been sound advice, and not for a lack of trying that Williams wasn’t able to make it work. But when you leave yourself open to give a fighter of Martinez’ ilk to capitalize on any given mistake, chances are that you will ultimately pay.
The vision of Williams motionless on the canvas for ten seconds and beyond is all the proof you need.
An exchange in mid-ring suggested a possible start to the Fight of the Year candidate that many among the estimated 5,500 in attendance were expecting to transpire.
Instead, the Knockout of the Year was delivered, by the man who will undoubtedly go down as everyone’s Fighter of the Year come December 31.
A blistering straight left hand found its way to Williams’ unprotected chin, causing the South Carolina native to fold over and crumble to the canvas.
“I waited for him to make a mistake,” Martinez calmly stated of the shot heard ‘round the boxing world. “He left me a lot of room to let me land that punch.”
In giving up so much room, Williams also ran out of time immediately thereafter. He never came close to beating referee Earl Morton’s ten count, instead forced to lie down while receiving immediate medical attention.
“I just caught with a punch,” Williams (38-2, 27KO) admitted shortly after suffering the first knockout loss of his career. It was also just the second time he has been dropped as a pro, both times coming at the free-swinging fists of Martinez. “I came into fight, and he just caught me with a clean punch.”
With the sudden ending, Martinez clinches honors as the standout fighter in a 2010 boxing year that sorely lacked leadership.
The win comes eight months after ending the two-plus year middleweight title reign of Kelly Pavlik, which – along with his first fight with Williams – was fought in this very same arena.
The venue once belonged to the late Arturo Gatti, who singlehandedly resuscitated the Atlantic City boxing scene. It was thought that Pavlik would carry the torch soon thereafter, but his title reign – despite serving as a lengthy one – turned out to be one of the sport’s greatest letdowns in recent memory.
Martinez’ current run in the gambling town is anything but disappointing. In a span of 11 months, he has delivered three standout performances, the most recent feat exacting revenge against an old adversary as he advances to 46-2-2 (25KO).
More so than becoming boxing’s very own one-man Boardwalk Empire, Martinez is now in a position of power as he sits atop one of the most storied divisions in the history of the sport.
The only question is what’s next?
With his neighbors eight pounds north tied up in tournaments and other contractual obligations, it’s unlikely that Martinez finds his way into the super middleweight mix anytime soon. The ongoing problem in the division in which he rules with an iron fist is the lack of talent beyond the top level.
The majority of formidable challenges – Felix Sturm, Sebastian Sylvester and Dmitry Pirog chief among them – exist overseas, which always seems to be sticking point when it comes to the dollars making sense for any top middleweight bout.
It’s easy to claim that Martinez is in the driver’s seat, but he’s far too humble and classy to have to force anyone’s hand. Instead, he’s willing to kick back and calmly survey the landscape, in hopes that somewhere out there awaits a lucrative opportunity.
“I want to hear offers and see what comes my way.”
The excuse offered for Saturday’s middleweight title fight being fought at a maximum weight of 158 was because Williams claimed to want to be as light as possible in hopes of dropping back down to welterweight for a high profile fight with either Manny Pacquiao or –should he ever return to the ring – Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Now that such an opportunity- farfetched to begin with - remains a pipe dream, the very same hypotheticals were proposed to Martinez, who knows that he’d have to weigh even lighter for a fight against either.
“I don’t have any problem fighting either one of them but would have to hear the offer. A catchweight of 156 pounds would be fine, but I would have to hear offers.”
Instead, all he has to hear from now until year’s end are the accolades that come with being recognized as the year’s best fighter, delivering the year’s best knockdown and – on a night in which stiff competition was offered on the tube from U F C – giving the sport of boxing a much needed shot in the arm.