The world-recognized best middleweight, Sergio ‘Maravilla’ Martinez, was in the spotlight again last night as he carved up a late-round stoppage over brave-but-outgunned Matthew Macklin inside of The Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Overcoming a slow start that saw him dropped in the sixth round, Martinez would turn up the heat late in the fight as he registered a pair of knockdowns in the eleventh round that had the Birmingham, England fighter?s corner electing to throw in the towel in between rounds. During the fight, the HBO announcing crew of Jim Lampley, Larry Merchant, and Emanuel Steward seemed far from enamored with Martinez?s performance, pointing to his struggle with Macklin in the first half of the fight. Merchant especially, never one to bite his tongue, seemed to take his share of slight digs at Martinez as the contest wore on.
