By Mark Vester

At the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California, Sergio Martinez (44-1-1, 24 KOs) dominated Alex Bunema (30-6-2, 16 KOs) over eight-rounds to win the WBC interim-junior middleweight title.

Bunema started very slow, not throwing enough and landing even less. He was being outworked and outhustled by the much quicker Martinez. Bunema could not figure out plan to counter the quick southpaw style of Martinez. In third, Martinez began to batter Bunema all over the ring, knocking him down with a left hand and battered him against the ropes at the bell.

During the middle rounds, Martinez used quick punches to keep Bunema on the defensive at all times. He would work him over against the ropes often. By the seventh, both of Bunema's eyes were swollen and he really took a beating in that particular round. Martinez continued his assault in the eight, giving Bunema another beating. The ringside doctor stopped the fight before the start of the ninth-round.

Martinez now becomes the mandatory challenger to WBC junior middleweight champion Vernon Forrest.

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