Once again, HBO championship boxing topped the field with
a Saturday night twin-bill that saw Lucian Bute halting tough challenger
Edison Miranda with a single left uppercut in stanza three - and Sergio
Martinez upsetting the proverbial apple cart in an eye catching unanimous
decision win over defending WBC/WBO middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik.
Curtain opens with both, defending IBF super middle champ
Bute and challenger Miranda playing it close to the vest - edge Bute in a
slow stanza.
Miranda grabs round two with both still taking notes -
then stanza three, and a stunning, out of the blue, Bute sizzling counter
left uppercut finds the chin - and Miranda is down. The battle hardened
Colombian beats the count but is in no condition to continue.
Referee Ernie Shariff quickly sees the signs of rubbery
legs and glassy eyes, correctly calls it no-mas at the 1:20 mark of numero
three.
Post Scripts: Lucian Bute (26-0, 21 KOs) - age 30 @ 6’2"
answers the post-fite Max Kellerman queries to an interest in next defending
against Bernard Hopkins, the Romanian transplant agreed through interpreter
while seeing himself second to none at 168 pounds.
Edison Miranda (33-5, 29 KOs) - age 29 @ 5'10" ~ game,
but rap sheet tells rest of the story with decision losses to Andre Ward;
Arthur Abraham twice; Kelly Pavlik by TKO7. Translation: likable or not, the
shout is back to the minors.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HBO quickly took the viewer to the Boardwalk Hall at
Atlantic City, NJ for the Pavlik defense of his WBC/WBO baubles facing slick
veteran WBC Jr. middleweight champ Sergio Martinez.
Pavlik enters the favorite on size at 6’2" to Martinez at
5’11" coupled with single blemish to Bernard Hopkins that went the distance
- toss in the age factor of 27 to the age 35 Martinez, on paper it looked
reasonable enough.
However, not to be overlooked, Martinez job application
saw him with batting average at 44-2-2, 24 KOs - not exactly chopped liver,
and it would show.
Martinez answers the opening bell the far quicker of the
two - he is in, out, and scoring from both sides of the plate that sees the
more celebrated Pavlik right hand power stuck in the mud with wheels
spinning but going nowhere.
Continues all Martinez in round two - the left hand repeatedly finding the target from the southpaw stance. Pavlik returns to
his corner with cut eye.
The Spaniard jump start would get the attention - and while he had the
better over the early stanzas Pavlik would pretty much adapt to the quicker
handed Martinez, and take over the controls during the midway point.
He drops Martinez with a right hand in stanza seven - but
the smaller man from Madrid would once again return to the earlier rounds
form, with a roll over candles nine thru closing stanza twelve.
The official tallies went unanimous for the winning
Martinez 115-111, 115-111, 115-112 - my unofficial had it Martinez 7-5 in
rounds and 114-113 in points. The Pavlik 10-8 round seven for the flash
knockdown making it close in points.
Post Scripts: Sergio Martinez ( 45-2-2, 24 KOs) ~ the age
and 48 kept appointments coming in saw him needing a battery charge after
the blistering start - but the effective port side quickness returned and
had him finish in championship style.
Kelly Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs) ~ age 27 - the mid point
stanzas that had him drawing close turned out more a strategic Martinez move
of slowing the pace.
Come the run to the wire Martinez was the more energized
of the two. Pavlik showed class in giving credit to his opponent by
recognizing the veteran had himself a good night and deserved the win. The
cuts around both eyes will keep the Youngstown battler on the shelf for a
spell. Hopefully, he will use the respite wisely while taking a refresher
course.
GEL -
4-17-2010
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