By Michael Collins: Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is considering a rematch between his popular fighter Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) and newly crowned WBC middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KO’s) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. However, if the rematch comes off it will likely have to wait until 2013, because Martinez suffered a cut over his left eye that required 8 stitches to close as well as possible torn ligaments in his right knee after falling to the canvas after getting knocked down by Chavez Jr. in the 12th. The torn ligaments may require surgery to heal. The rehabilitation will almost surely keep Martinez out of action for the remainder of 2013.
Martinez and his promoter Lou Dibella are both understandably eager to face Chavez Jr. again. Martinez received $1.4 million for the fight, and he’ll likely get a nice extra chunk of cash on the pay per view upside. A rematch in Texas would likely mean another nice payday for Martinez, although it’s hard to understand why boxing fans would want to pay to see Martinez add Chavez Jr. fight again after last night.
It was completely one-sided until the 12th round when Chavez Jr. was able to hurt Martinez with a right hand and then put him down with a left. Chavez Jr. couldn’t finish the job, however, and actually ended up taking more shots than he was landing after he had Martinez hurt. That was the sad part. Even with Martinez hurt, he was still able to out-land Chavez Jr.
by Paul Strauss: What a night for boxing fans. Between Showtime and HBO, there were more fights than you could shake a stick at. The big record setting one was of course at the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV. It was a grudge match pitting Sergio Gabriel “Maravilla” Martinez against the young title usurper with the bloodlines named Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.
By Dwight Chittenden: With the exception of the 12th round, Sergio Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KO’s) completely dominated a badly over-matched WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-1-1, 32 KO’s) tonight in beating him by a 12 round unanimous decision at the Thomas & Mack Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Martinez, 37, had to climb off the deck in the 12th round to survive after getting hurt and knocked by a desperate Chavez Jr. However, Chavez Jr. was too slow and inaccurate to finish off Martinez when he had him where he wanted him. The final judges’ scores were 118-109, 118-109 and 117-110, all for Martinez.
(Photo credit: Sumio Yamada) By Michael Collins: ESPN analyst Teddy Atlas doesn’t think that WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has the skills or the hand speed to beat a talented fighter like Sergio Martinez tonight in their fight in Las Vegas. Atlas is one of the many people who feel that Chavez Jr’s weight advantage will be meaningless for him because of Martinez mobility.
(Photo credit: Naoki Fakuda) By Joseph Herron: After over a year of verbal sparring from both camps, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez is finally upon us!
By Joseph Herron: In what most fight scribes are calling the most impactful 160 pound contest since “Trinidad vs. Hopkins, 2001”, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-0-1, 32 KOs) will be facing Sergio Martinez (49-2-2, 28 KOs) for the universally recognized Middleweight Championship on Saturday, September 15th, at the sold out Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
By Michael Collins: WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (46-0-1, 32 KO’s) was able to successfully make weight during today’s weigh-in with Sergio Martinez (49-2-2, 28 KO’s) in Las Vegas, Nevada for their fight tomorrow night. I wasn’t prepared for how badly weight drained Chavez Jr. looked in weighing in at 158 pounds. He looked absolutely terrible, like someone that crawled out of a hospital bed to come in weigh-in. In contrast, Sergio Martinez looked sensation in weighing in at 159 pounds with no signs if being weight drained.