ATLANTIC CITY ? There was nothing subjective about Sergio Martinez?s performance this time around.
Martinez scored the knockout of the year by drilling Paul Williams into unconsciousness with a single left hand in the second round of their middleweight championship rematch Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall. After picking apart Williams with counter lefts and uppercuts throughout the first round, Martinez?s left dropped Williams face-first to the canvas early in the second round.
Referee Earl Morton immediately stopped the fight, with Williams motionless on the canvas. Williams regained consciousness quickly and left the ring under his own power.
Argentina?s Martinez, meanwhile, clearly established himself as the No. 3 pound-for-pound boxer in the world with a spectacular, stunning knockout of another elite-level fighter. He lost their first fight by majority decision nearly a year ago, but seemed intent from the time the opening bell sounded to exploit the taller Williams? defensive deficiencies.
“He?s the best fighter I?ve ever promoted,” Lou DiBella, Martinez?s jubilant promoter, exclaimed at ringside. “I, in my heart, thought he was going to win. But that was one of the greatest knockouts of another great fighter I?ve ever seen. Williams is a brilliant fighter ? but that punch would?ve knocked anyone on earth out.”
Williams (39-2, 27 KOs) seemed to make the fight more competitive during the opening minute of the second round, but Martinez?s left hand got to Williams? chin before Williams could unload his own left hand. The result left much of the crowd of 5,502 in awe of Martinez?s accomplishment.
“I was waiting for a mistake,” Martinez (46-2-2, 25 KOs) said, “and I was surprised that it happened so soon. I didn?t want the judges to rob me this time.”
Williams won their first fight by majority decision Dec. 5 inside the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall. Julie Lederman scored that closely contested bout even (114-114), but the two other judges credited Williams with winning (Lynne Carter had 115-113 and Pierre Benoist 119-110).
Both boxers survived first-round knockdowns in their first fight, but Martinez?s picture-perfect punch was insurmountable Saturday.
“I got caught with a punch,” said Williams, of Augusta, Ga. “I knew it was going to be a tough fight.”
Martinez admitted he expected a tougher, longer fight, too, but the WBC middleweight champion proved that he has punching power that defies his knockout ratio. The sensational nature of his victory left Martinez eager to prove he is the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, though he and his promoter know it?ll be difficult to get the much smaller Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) or Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs) to fight him.
Martinez is a 160-pound title-holder, but his rematch with Williams was contested at a catch weight of 158 pounds and he can get beneath the junior middleweight limit of 154 pounds. If Pacquiao and Mayweather finally fight, Martinez might be left without a high-profile opponent to fight in 2011.
“If you?re Pacquiao, would you fight him?” DiBella asked. “If you?re Mayweather, would you fight him? It?s going to be even harder for him to get fights now, but I know what I?ve got. I?ve got the best fighter in the world.”
Martinez, 35, hopes he gets the opportunity to prove DiBella?s contention.
“I plan to have two or three more fights before I retire,” Martinez said, “and I would like one of those fights to be against Pacquiao or Mayweather.”
