By Elisinio Castillo

TYC Sports provided a transcript to BoxingScene.com, where former two division world champion Sergio Martinez (51-3-2, 28KOs) announced his retirement from boxing at age 40. Martinez made the announcement at the ongoing International Boxing Hall of Fame festivities in Canastota, New York.

Martinez has been out of the ring since last June's knockout loss to Miguel Cotto. Ever since he defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in September of 2012, Martinez has been dealing with numerous injuries and his body was breaking down. Martinez was barely able to stand, due to existing knee injuries, in his loss to Cotto.

Martinez's biggest wins would have to be his one punch knockout of Paul Williams in 2010 and the twelve round decision over heavy favorite Kelly Pavlik in the same year, and the domination of the much larger Chavez Jr.

"Hello everyone and thank you very much for being here. I am here to thank my family ... First, in my 20 years of life as a boxer for always supporting me. My uncles Reuben ... Raul and Carlos Alberto "Coca" Andrade, Gabriel Sarmiento, Miguel de Pablos, Sampson Lewkowicz, Nathan Lewkowicz and Lou DiBella for helping me grow as an athlete and human being," Martinez said.

"They stood by me, all of them were always helping me and I needed that. I am here to thank those who with their affection helped me, people who always supported me, which is always going to stay with me and in my heart ... I thank those who from day one believed in me because they helped me grow and trust my instincts."

"I also want to thank those who did not believe in me because I was filled with strength from that. Those who put roadblocks only strengthened my steps ... My father, whose faith was easier this way a boxer; my mother, who is still suffering as every mother does and had faith in me ...I want to give my special thanks to my athletic father Don Jose Sulaiman and Don Mauricio Sulaiman ... Also the WBC ...

"And above all, I thank you for giving me the life that I have today from boxing and for making me the man that I am. Thanks to boxing and all the family of this wonderful sport. And especially, to all my fans around the world."

"I'm thanking those that I've named, because here at the Hall of Fame I'm making my official retirement from boxing after 20 years.... It's time to step aside and go towards other horizons, so here I retire. Thank you very much and until victory, forever."