Sergio Martinez / Photo © Marty Rosengarten / Ringsidephotos.com

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Carlos Acevedo was ringside for Saturday night's middleweight title clash between Kelly Pavlik and Sergio Martinez.  For more from Carlos, check out his blog, The Cruelest Sport.

If Argentina has anything similar to the concept of menefreghista, then Sergio Martinez is probably its most visible practitioner. Martinez is practically unflappable in the ring, and his disregard for consequences between the ropes, often reckless, is indicative of the remarkable confidence he has as a fighter.  Last night before a crowd of over 6,000 at Boardwalk Hall, Martinez laughed, showboated, boxed, boogied, brawled, ignored a knockdown, and shouted "Mas!" at a bloody and bewildered Kelly Pavlik before being rewarded with an upset unanimous decision over the recognized middleweight champion of the world. Final scores were 116-111, 115-111, and 115-112.

Pavlik, trying to reclaim a reputation sullied over the last year and a half, simply could not catch up with Martinez, whose speed and athleticism, combined with a natural ability to stymie, were just too much for him. Compared to Martinez, Pavlik appeared to be fighting with leg irons on.

Martinez took control early, circling the ring and popping off jabs and straight lefts. He was in and out before Pavlik could react; indeed, at this early stage, Pavlik seemed outclassed, at least from long distance.Nor did Martinez, 35, let Pavlik work in close; he simply never gave Pavlik the opportunity to land hooks to the body or uppercuts. Although Martinez roughed it on the inside against Paul Williams last year, he made sure to keep his bout with Pavlik on the perimeter.

Occasionally Martinez would double his straight left--a move seemingly calculated to keep Pavlik on his back foot--and jab to the body, but he controlled most of the early rounds with quick one-twos out of his southpaw stance. Within two minutes of the opening round, Pavlik, 28, was cut, courtesy of a quick right hook.

Martinez, now 45-2-2 (24), continued darting in and out in the second round, minimizing exchanges, confusing Pavlik with movement and scoring with straight lefts. With about fifteen seconds remaining in the round, Pavlik landed a hard straight right that staggered Martinez, who took the punch well, better, perhaps, than some might have expected for a fighter who turned pro as a welterweight and was giving up more than 10 pounds on fight night.

In the third round, Pavlik began to apply more pressure, landing another solid right hand, but Martinez continued juking on the outside, resembling a man without a care in the world. It seemed like some kind of irrational leap of faith for Martinez to shimmy in front of the hardpunching Pavlik, hands by his sides, chin jutting out defiantly, but Martinez has the kind of confidence in the ring most fighters can only dream of.  Pavlik, now 36-2 (31), walked into a hard jab that staggered him and began pawing at Martinez with his left, as if trying to draw a bead on his elusive target. Just before the bell ending the third, however, Pavlik nearly bounced Martinez into the ropes with a right. It was not enough to earn him the round, but it showed Martinez that Pavlik still had the potential to be hazardous to his health.

Martinez dominated the fourth and had Pavlik reaching for him throughout with a jab that kept falling short. Pavlik, Youngstown, Ohio, finally began to make his move in the fifth, ignoring an isolated hook from Martinez and scoring with a snapping cross that brought a roar from the crowd.

Despite losing the early rounds, Pavlik continued to press the action, and, with a few adjustments, inched his way back into the fight. In addition to cranking out counter left hooks more often, Pavlik also began to time Martinez with sharp jabs whenever Martinez would charge in.  For the next three rounds, Pavlik, who seemed to have solved the Maravilla Conundrum, outworked Martinez, and in the seventh, a chopping right--thrown while Pavlik held Martinez around the neck--dropped an off-balance Martinez for a knockdown.

Martinez, Oxnard, California via Buenos Aires, smiled and disputed the call, but the two-point round put Pavlik right back in the fight. He continued his momentum in the eighth, forcing Martinez to move more, but throw with less accuracy.

After eight heats the bout was more or less even, but between rounds Martinez made the kind of decision only a serious prizefighter makes in the ring: to change the course of events by taking risks. When the bell sounded to start the ninth, Martinez came out with the intent to reverse his dimming fortunes. He abandoned his Fancy Dan style and came at Pavlik with both hands churning. A straight left ripped Pavlik over the right eye and the ensuing cut--poorly managed by Sid Brumback--took on Iguazu Falls qualities, pouring forth blood throughout the remainder of the fight.

Not long after opening the cut, Martinez began to showboat, windmilling his left comically and goading Pavlik to swap punches. Martinez began to add right hooks to his one-twos, and Pavlik was soon overwhelmed by sudden volleys. Some of these blows were sharp enough to send Pavlik into retreat. With Pavlik hampered by the blood streaming into both of his eyes, Martinez stood within firing range and dominated the last third of the fight with one quick salvo after another.  In fact, for the majority of the last four rounds Martinez simply worked Pavlik over. By the end of the 11th, Pavlik was reeling from the combinations Martinez was throwing. Blood sprayed the ring with every blow Martinez landed.

Not only did Martinez outbox Pavlik over the last four rounds, but he also seemed to take a bit of the heart out him. Pavlik appeared distressed at times between rounds, and he decelerated quickly when Martinez began to rattle him with unexpected barrages.

When the final bell rang, Martinez celebrated jubilantly, while Pavlik, who entered the ring looking like the MSC Splendida and left resembling the Wreck of the Hesperus, had his wounds tended to. As for Martinez, he has a few options available, including a rematch with Paul Williams, but whenever he is approached with a short list of possible opponents, it will be easy to imagine his reaction: raised eyebrows, a smile, perhaps some muted laughter, a quick shrug of the shoulders.

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