Sergio Martinez Rallies To Bloody, Unseat Kelly Pavlik

By Mark Vester

At the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, WBC junior middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (45-2-3, 24 KOs) won a come-from-behind twelve round unanimous decision over Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 23 KOs) to capture the WBC and WBO middleweight titles. The scores were 115-111, 116-111 and 115-112.

At the start of the first, Martinez was moving and landing some quick punches on Pavlik and moving away before he could be countered. The top of Pavlik's right eye was cut from a Martinez hook. Martinez landed a few shots to the body, the head and got away before Pavlik could land anything. The second started with Martinez using more movement. Martinez got off with two hard left hands and then a right. Martinez was putting on a clinic with fast punches that continued to land on Pavlik and did not allow Pavlik to land much of anything. The third saw Pavlik come out stalking but he was getting caught with punches every time he tried to walk in. Pavlik was starting to close the distance and began to touch Martinez with small punches.

Martinez was circling around at the start of the fourth round. Pavlik with a good left and then a shot to the body. Pavlik went back to the body and Martinez hit him with a right hand. Martinez with a three punch combo. Martinez landed three good rights, made Pavlik miss and then landed another right hand, before Pavlik camne back with a right of his own. Martinez was still landing quick rights that pushed Pavlik back. The fifth saw Martinez come out moving. Martinez continued to land small shots as Pavlik walked in. Pavlik got off with three good right hands that knocked Martinez back. Martinez tried to rally back but missed. In the sixth, Pavlik came out stalking and looking for something big. Pavlik started putting on a lot of pressure and not allowing Martinez to get off with many shots. Pavlik was landing some decent shots, but nothing too big.

The seventh saw Martinez walking and trying to get off with quick punches. Pavlik with a combo and the later landed a right and a left. Martinez with a three punch combo that made Pavlik back off. Martinez was off-balance when Pavlik caught with a shot to send him down for a knockdown. Martinez tried to answer back with two lefts and a right. Pavlik was jabbing and Martinez landed a left. Pavlik came out stalking in the eight. Martinez was moving away and missing most punches that he tried to throw. Pavlik went to the body. They began to trade some punches and Pavlik was landing the harder and better shots. The ninth saw a cut open on the right eye of Pavlik. Martinez began to land some some very good combinations with both hands to push Pavlik back and started to batter Pavlik all over the ring. Pavlik's face was a bloody mess from multiple cuts around both eyes and a cut that appeared to be pouring blood on the right cheek.

Martinez was taking the fight to Pavlik at the start of the tenth. Pavlik continued to get caught with punches when he tried to walk inside. Martinez was unloading with shots from both hands and taunting Pavlik in the ring. Pavlik's face was a river of blood. They were trading at the start of the eleventh but Martinez was now landing the better punches and actually pushing Pavlik back. Martinez was unloading with both hands and battering Pavlik in the final ten seconds.

In the twelfth and final round, Pavlik was knocked back to the ropes from a combo that Martinez threw. Martinez landed a three punch combo and moved away. Martinez was outboxing Pavlik with movement and landing small punches while Pavlik was not getting off. Martinez threw a few crisp shots to close the round.

On the Undercard

The co-feature saw undefeated welterweight contender Mike Jones (21-0, 17 KOs) punish Hector Munoz (18-3-1, 11 KOs) over five rounds before the fight was stopped.

Middleweight prospect Matt Korobov (11-0, 8 KOs) won a unanimous eight round decision over Josh Snyder (8-5-1, 3 KOs). The scores were 79-73, 78-74 and 78-74.

Junior middleweight contender Ronald Hearns (25-1, 19 KOs) continues his win streak with a first round demolition of Delray Raines (17-8-1, 12 KOs).

Junior welterweight Vincent Arroyo (10-1, 7 KOs) stopped previously undefeated Jeremy Bryan (13-1, 6 KOs) in the eight round. Bryan went down for the full count after Arroyo landed a combination of punches.

Heavyweight Dominick Guinn (33-6-1, 22 KOs) stopped overmatched Terrell Nelson (18-11, 5 KOs) after seven rounds of action. Nelson stayed on the stool after the seventh round was over.