In a tougher-than-expected bout at the The Theatre inside of Madison Square Garden in New York City, lineal middleweight champion Sergio Martinez overcame a spirited effort from Birmingham, England?s Matthew Macklin before scoring an 11th round TKO.
Macklin, who was coming off of a split-decision loss to WBA champion Felix Sturm that many felt he should have won, gave a great account of himself and even scored a knockdown in the sixth round while stealing the bout?s momentum. Martinez had to dig down deep and he did just that, putting on a clinic down the stretch as he tagged Macklin with piercing shots from all angles.
The 11th round saw Martinez drop a fading Macklin twice, with his corner waiving the fight off in between rounds.
With the win Martinez can either choose to push forward as a middleweight while eyeing a bout with WBC champ Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. or eye a lucrative bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. at 154 pounds, being that the undefeated star gets past Miguel Cotto on May 5th.
