by Lee Groves/CompuBox
Although Sergio Martinez had scored 24 knockouts in 45 previous wins, the Argentine was never regarded as a one-punch knockout artist. Since coming to the U.S. in 2007 after years of campaigning in Europe and South America, the man known as “Maravilla” was typecast as a skillful, hard-to-hit boxer who either prevailed by attrition or was victimized by judicial heartbreak.
Such was the case when Martinez lost a majority decision to Paul Williams 11 months ago at Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall in one of 2009’s best fights, a worthy battle that begged for a second act. When both parties again gathered at “The House That Gatti Built” Saturday night, most fans and scribes expected another volley of two-way fireworks. What they got instead was a pugilistic explosion that not only transformed the reputation of the well-preserved 35-year-old Martinez but also reshaped the boxing landscape.
As referee Earl Morton counted 10 over Williams’ inert form, Martinez zoomed into “The Punisher’s” previously-held number-three slot in the pound-for-pound rankings and became the definitive opponent for the two men ranked above him – Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. The artful boxer was now the sensational slugger poised to parlay his surprising power burst into a career-defining date with destiny – if he had his way.
The CompuBox numbers defied the ultimate result, for Williams’ vaunted volume-punching attack vaulted him into the lead. Williams was 33 of 105 overall (31 percent) to Martinez’s 23 of 76 and in power punches he led in attempts (81-65), connects (31-21) and connect percentage (38-32). As is usually the case with left-handers, the jabs were inconsequential as Martinez went 2 of 11, 18 percent while Williams was 2 of 24, 8 percent.
The round-by-round breakdowns amplified Williams’ edge as he posted edges of 73-53 in attempted punches, 23-18 in overall connects and 22-17 in landed power shots in round one and led 32-19 (attempts), 10-4 (overall connects) and 9-3 (power connects) in round two. But Martinez’s fifth landed punch and fourth power connect of the round rendered Williams’ hard work moot and catapulted Martinez into the fistic stratosphere.
The PunchZone maps reveal that Martinez did the most damage with his left cross throughout the abbreviated bout. Eleven of Martinez’s 16 head connects landed on the right side of Williams’ head while the other five landed on the left side of the head. Strangely, no punches connected with Williams’ chin. Similarly, left hands produced six of Martinez’s seven body connects.
Williams’ attack was more balanced as right hands to the head (10 of 17 connects) and lefts to the body (11 of 16 connects) scored most often. Lefts to the head netted four connects for “The Punisher” and three more landed on the chin. Right hands to the body accounted for the other connects for Williams and neither man landed a low blow.
Martinez and his management insisted that a late-career power surge was in the offing and their words were proved in most stunning and emphatic fashion. Conversely, Williams’ defensive skills and scar tissue had shown signs of decline in recent fights, but many observers thought his anatomical advantages, his cast-iron jaw and his fighting heart would again save the day.
But in the end, boxing’s “theater of the unexpected” served up another head-snapping, reality-shifting twist of fate that catapulted one man toward stardom while leaving the other to ponder his next move.