In possibly one of the best punches in middleweight history, Sergio Martinez scored a sensational one-punch knockout over Paul Williams at 1:10 of the second round and ended any debate as to who is the greatest middleweight in the world today.
The fight began as expected with neither fighter giving an inch. By the end of the first round, there was little doubt that the rematch would live up to the billing. The slugfest was on. Both began the second stanza throwing punches, with Martinez landing a solid left that Williams quickly answered. The sound of leather hitting flesh could be heard throughout Boardwalk Hall.
Then in an instant, a left hand rose from the man called ?Maravilla,? a roundhouse hook that landed flush to the chin of the taller Williams. For a split-second, everything fell quiet until the sound of Paul Williams? limp body landing on the canvas with a thud broke the silence and the Hall exploded in the sounds of celebration and shock.
No count was necessary as the referee bent over Williams, while Martinez leaped triumphantly onto the ropes in the corner of the ring. Press row was a collection of disbelieving faces seeming asking, ?Did that really just happen??
?It was a matter of who got there first; these guys were throwing bombs and he [Martinez] got there first,? Williams? trainer George Peterson said at the post-fight press conference. ?Anyone that gets caught with that punch is out.? When asked if he would like a rematch, Peterson said, ?They could go get Martinez now and we?ll fight again.? He also left no doubt that Williams will be in the ring again soon, ?This young man is a fighter; he loves to fight.?
Williams himself was relaxed, adding, ?I got caught; what could I do??
Soon after, a triumphant Sergio Martinez entered the conference with his manager, displaying a piece of paper he claimed to prove that their plan was to knockout Williams in the exact fashion in which it occurred.
When asked what mistake Williams made, Martinez smiled, saying, ?He took the rematch.?
Tonight, a new superstar in boxing shines bright and any discussion of the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world must include Sergio Martinez.
Former WBO light heavyweight and WBC cruiserweight champion Zsolt Erdei completely dominated Kenyan Samson Onyango scoring a lopsided eight-round decision. Two judges gave every round to the Hungarian Erdei, while the third gave only the second round to Onyango. Erdei pressed the action from the opening bell and was able to effectively get through the defense of the taller Onyango.
Onyango displayed little power, which allowed Erdei to move inside without fear and score points almost at will as the fight progressed. The win keeps Erdei undefeated as a pro in 32 fights with 17 knockouts, while Onyango drops to 20-7 (13), losing four of his last six bouts.
Middleweight Fernando Guerrero had little trouble earning his 20th win in as many pro fights scoring a fourth-round knockout over veteran Saul Duran, 36-18-3 (29). The contest was a step down in competition for Guerrero after a close win over Ishe Smith in July. Guerrero controlled the action throughout the bout, dropping Duran in the second and fourth rounds.
After nearly finishing the fight in the second, Guerrero spent a good portion of the third fighting with his back to the ropes, drawing the Mexican Duran to him. In the fourth Guerrero again used his movement around the ring and found opportunities to land consistently. It wasn?t long before Guerrero unleashed a devastating right/left combination that sent Duran down. Duran rose just before he was counted out but referee Ricardo Vera had no choice to call a halt to the bout at 1:06 of the round.
Washington DC heavyweight Tony Thompson, 35-2 (23), scored an easy fourth-round TKO over Paul ?Italian Hitman? Marinaccio, 24-6-3 (11). From the opening bell Thompson controlled every aspect of the fight, punishing the overmatched Marinaccio until the referee mercifully stepped in to stop the carnage.
The one thing clear after this fight is why Marinaccio is called the ?Hitman.? Plaim and simple, he does get hit, man.
Philadelphia?s Steve Upsher Chambers improved to 23-1-1 (6) with a split decision over previously undefeated Bayan Jargal, 15-1-3 (10), of Virginia.
Luis Del Valle easily improved to 11-0, with eight KOs, stopping a game but overmatched Noe Lopez Jr., 6-7 (4). It was the second time Del Valle has beaten Lopez. Last December, Lopez retired after two rounds with an injured hand at BB King?s Blues Club in Manhattan.
Willie Nelson of Cleveland recorded his tenth KO and remained undefeated at 16-0-1 (10) with a first-round knockout over Quinton Whitaker, 7-9 (7).
