Fernando Martinez knocked off another Filipino southpaw to retain his IBF junior bantamweight title Saturday night.
The unbeaten Argentinean adjusted to Jade Bornea’s aggression early in their 12-round, 115-pound championship match, resumed his customary role as the aggressor, consistently landed the harder punches and eventually stopped his bloodied challenger early in the 11th round at The Armory in Minneapolis. Referee Charlie Fitch halted their “Showtime Championship Boxing” opener 29 seconds into the 11th round because Bornea (18-1, 12 KOs), who bled badly from his lacerated right earlobe, had begun to take too much punishment.
Judges Mike Fitzgerald (97-93), Jerome Jakubco (98-92) and Zac Young (97-93) all had Martinez ahead at the time of the stoppage. Bornea boxed with blood flowing from his right ear over the final two-plus rounds.
The 31-year-old Martinez made his second successful defense of the IBF 115-pound championship he won when he beat the Philippines’ Jerwin Ancajas by unanimous decision in February 2022 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Martinez (16-0, 9 KOs) also won their 12-round rematch by unanimous decision October 8 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Bornea, 28, was the mandatory challenger for Martinez’s championship.
Martinez came out aggressively in the 11th round and landed a couple right hands that made Fitch step between them to stop the fight.
Another hard right by Martinez made Bornea move away from him, clear across the ring, as the 10th round came to a close. Martinez hammered Bornea with a right hand that stunned the challenger with 1:35 to go in the 10th round.
Blood began pouring out of Bornea’s right ear early in the ninth round. Fitch asked Bornea if he wanted to continue 25 seconds into the ninth round.
Bornea obliged, but Martinez swarmed him after seeing Bornea’s blood. Bornea fought through that unusual injury and eventually switched back to his natural orthodox stance, which kept his right ear slightly more protected from his right-handed opponent.
Bornea’s hard right landed flush with a few seconds on the clock in the eighth round.
Martinez and Bornea traded hard body shots with just over 30 seconds to go in the eighth round. A counter left hook by Martinez shook Bornea a little more than a minute into the eighth round.
Martinez relentlessly attacked Bornea as soon as the seventh round began, but Bornea regained control of the action and had a strong second half of that round.
A straight left by Bornea landed with just over 1:10 left in the sixth round. Bornea belted Martinez with a right hook to the side of his head barely 20 seconds into the sixth round.
Martinez’s right-left-right-left combination knocked Bornea off balance with less than 10 seconds to go in the fifth round. Martinez’s left hook landed to the side of Bornea’s head with 45 seconds remaining in the fifth round.
Martinez landed flush two right hands a few seconds apart with just under 50 seconds on the clock in the fourth round. Bornea had more trouble overall in keeping Martinez from coming forward in the fourth round.
Martinez lunged forward and landed a left hook with about 35 seconds to go in the third round.
A straight left by Bornea landed at the midway mark of the third round. Martinez’s right uppercut connected cleanly with 1:50 remaining in the third round.
Martinez landed two right hands in a sequence that led to Bornea falling into the ropes with just under 40 seconds on the clock in the second round. Bornea was very active, however, in the second round, which kept Martinez from going on the offensive in the way he is accustomed.
Martinez landed a left hook that moved Bornea backward barely 40 seconds into the second round.
A straight left by Bornea backed up Martinez with 20 seconds remaining in the opening round. Bornea went on the offensive during the second half of the first round.
Martinez backed Bornea into the ropes and landed a right hand with just under 1:10 to go in the first round.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
ADD COMMENT VIEW COMMENTS (7)