Martinez, Canelo finish the job

Rafael's remarks: If you're a boxing fan, you sit through all the bad fights, deal with all the mismatches, persevere through all the crappy decisions, put up with the never-ending and childlike bickering between promoters, fighters, managers and TV networks just to witness an unforgettable moment like this fight produced.

The 12th round of Chavez-Martinez will go down as one of the most memorable in boxing history. The sheer drama and jolt of electricity that surged through the sold-out, record crowd of 19,186 at the Thomas & Mack Center was as good as it gets. That's because Martinez, the lineal champion making his fifth defense, had toyed with titleholder Chavez, making his fourth defense, for 11 rounds in the year's biggest fight not involving Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. They were not close rounds, either. Martinez, with his speed, skills, experience and a perfect game plan of shooting right jabs to the head and hard lefts to the body before moving away, worked brilliantly. Chavez, 26, and the son of Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., was befuddled. He could barely get off any punches and seemed dejected as he went back to the corner, round after round, because he was unable to do much of anything except eat shots. Martinez, 37, of Argentina and living in Oxnard, Calif., was running away with the fight against the opponent he had wanted to fight for the past 18 months -- since Chavez claimed the belt that had wrongly been stripped from Martinez.

But then came the amazing 12th round (almost certainly the round of the year), which was about as dramatic as anything boxing has seen since the classic 10th round of the first Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo fight in 2005. As the 12th round began, the only way Chavez was going to win was if he could do what his father had done when he met Meldrick Taylor in their famous 1990 junior welterweight unification bout. In that fight, Chavez Sr. was hopelessly trailing and needed a miracle knockout to win and preserve his undefeated record and championship. He never stopped gunning for the knockout and, finally, late in the fight he dropped Taylor in shocking fashion, and referee Richard Steele, in one of the most famous calls in boxing history, stopped the fight with two seconds left. That was the kind of ending the younger Chavez was going to need against Martinez and, incredibly, he almost got it.

Halfway through the round, Chavez nailed Martinez, who was bleeding from a cut over his left eye, with a left hook that sent him staggering into the ropes. And then Chavez nailed him with two more left hooks, one of which was dead on the chin, and dropped him. At that moment, the sound of the crowd, filled mostly with Mexicans rooting for Chavez and resigned to a loss on Mexican Independence Day weekend, rose in about two seconds from a normal big-fight crowd sound to something akin to a jumbo jet at full throttle. It was shades of Chavez Sr.-Taylor, although Martinez, who was badly hurt, survived.

With nearly a minute left, instead of running or grabbing on, Martinez stood and fought. In a remarkable scene, the fighters exchanged toe-to-toe down the stretch. Virtually every person in the arena was standing, including on press row. Martinez was able to make it to the final bell and had the decision in the bag. But Chavez showed he could hurt Martinez and, with that final surge, salvaged something out of the night. Despite the one-sided (but highly entertaining) annihilation Martinez doled out for 11 rounds, that 12th round means we probably will see a rematch. The fighters and their promoters, Top Rank's Bob Arum and Lou DiBella, were open to it afterward. Assuming they make it, the sequel will be a pay-per-view bonanza. If you missed the fight, the replay Saturday night (9:30 ET/PT) on HBO is definitely worth watching.

Chavez, who was busted up around both eyes and had a nose injury, will need to start faster and go to the body more if he is going to triumph in the inevitable rematch. Martinez, however, is going to be on the shelf for a bit. He went to the hospital after the fight because of a likely broken left hand (suffered in about the fourth round) and a suspected tear in his right knee (suffered on the knockdown).

Rafael's remarks: Most folks will remember the epic ending of the Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. main event, but the fight of the night was this gem of a scrap that will figure in for fight of the year honorable mention status. When Adrien Broner blew weight for a title defense on July 21, he was stripped of the belt and Puerto Rico's Martinez, 29, who once held this title, and Beltran, 23, of Mexico, were ordered to fight for the vacant strap. And what a fight they gave us.

It was a back-and-forth slugfest with numerous close rounds and a lot of clean punching. Unfortunately, the outcome was decided by overzealous referee Russell Mora, who has had his share of bad nights. This was another one of them. In a dead-even fight, he unjustifiably docked Beltran one point during the heated 11th round for hitting behind the head. It was a ticky-tack call, and it cost Beltran a draw, which would have left the title vacant. Regardless of the outcome, these guys battled tooth and nail, and hurt each other repeatedly. A rematch would be a nice idea.

Martinez first held the title from 2009 to 2010, making two defenses before losing a decision in a terrific fight to Ricky Burns. Beltran is now 0-for-2 in title fights. He got his first shot in December, but it wound up being a two-round no-contest because an accidental head-butt opened a cut over Juan Carlos Salgado's eye and he was unable to continue. Considering Beltran's style and how competitive he was against Martinez, he figures to get another title shot before too long.

Rafael's remarks: This was just what the doctor ordered for Macklin: a spectacular performance that likely will propel him to another title shot. The England-born Irishman had lost two bouts in a row, both for titles. Last March, he was stopped in the 11th round of a competitive loss to lineal champ Sergio Martinez, whom he knocked down. That defeat came on the heels of a highly disputed split decision loss in Germany to then-titleholder Felix Sturm. So Macklin had dropped two in a row to the best the division had to offer, but he was competitive in both fights and, frankly, had been ripped off in one of them. With the middleweight division red-hot, Macklin made a statement that he warrants another high-profile opportunity by putting Alcine away in punishing style.

Macklin needed just 2 minutes, 26 seconds to wipe out Alcine, a no-chin former junior middleweight titleholder who had been left for dead before rejuvenating his career with an unexpected upset decision win against Montreal rival David Lemieux in December. Macklin, 30, dropped Alcine, 36, twice with brutal shots (first a right hand, followed by a flurry). Alcine was in terrible shape after the second knockdown, and Macklin was punishing him when referee Jay Nady intervened to save him.

The CompuBox stats show just how brutally one-sided the fight was. Macklin landed 51 percent of his shots, while Alcine landed 50 percent. But let's go behind the numbers: Macklin landed 31 of 61 punches while Alcine landed just four of eight. Macklin should be able to ride this win to a fight against either Daniel Geale or Gennady Golovkin, both of whom are making a name for themselves and whom HBO is interested in putting on. As for Alcine, he can't hang at the top of the division and can't take a shot. This was the second time in four fights he has been drilled in the first round. He doesn't have much of a future as anything other than an opponent.

Rafael's remarks: Rigondeaux, the two-time Olympic gold medalist who defected from Cuba and now lives in Miami, is as gifted as any fighter in the sport. He is so relaxed and poised in the ring, a fight for him is like you or I taking a walk on a sunny day. He was facing Marroquin, 23, of Dallas, a much taller opponent who has been a top prospect for the past few years. Marroquin also has a quality amateur background, but few compare to Rigondeaux's. So even though Marroquin has more than double the pro fights of Rigondeaux, this still looked like a bit of a mismatch.

Marroquin had a few good moments when he cracked Rigondeaux, clearly hurt him and had him grabbing on, such as in the third and ninth rounds. But those moments were too few and far between. Most of the time, Rigondeaux was easily outboxing Marroquin, who was also dropped twice with straight left hands -- in the fifth round and 12th round. Rigondeaux, making his second title defense, did what he had to do. Although this fight wasn't as exciting as his first defense, a June bout against Teon Kennedy, Rigondeaux showed why he may be the best 122-pounder in the world not named Nonito Donaire.

If Rigondeaux's performance was slightly unsteady, we'll give him a pass considering all the stuff he was dealing with going into this fight. First off, he didn't know until a few days before the bout whether he would actually be fighting. That's because of the litigation that has been going on over his management contract. Although those differences were briefly set aside to make the fight for Rigondeaux, a southpaw whose contract with Top Rank expired with this bout, expect everyone to wind up fighting in court again. Whatever happens, hopefully it will be resolved quickly so that Rigondeaux, 31, can get back to work.

Although Marroquin lost, he has talent and a crowd-pleasing style. There's no reason he shouldn't be an acceptable fighter for the next time Top Rank does a junior featherweight or featherweight fight on HBO.

Rafael's remarks: Alvarez, 22, is one of Mexico's biggest stars and had the headline role on Mexican Independence Day weekend in his Showtime debut. However, he didn't get his first choice of opponent, or even his second or third. Paul Williams (motorcycle accident), James Kirkland (shoulder injury, financial disagreement) and Victor Ortiz (broken jaw and a loss in a June 23 tuneup fight) all fell by the wayside. So Golden Boy Promotions, Alvarez and Showtime decided to go with Lopez, a good junior welterweight who had pulled off the big upset against Ortiz in their welterweight fight. Lopez would again move up in weight for the fight, considered by most to be a major mismatch because of the significant size difference.

In fact, it turned out to be the gross mismatch most suspected it would be. Lopez, 28, of Riverside, Calif., did not go down without a fight but he simply could not hang with the bigger and better Alvarez, who retained his title for the fifth time, against his fifth less-than-stellar opponent. To his credit, Alvarez wants a big fight and a real opponent. He has been asking for Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Miguel Cotto, two of the best in the business. He didn't let the legitimate prospect of either of those megafights impact his focus against Lopez. At least it didn't appear that way considering how dominant Alvarez was -- to the delight of the announced crowd of 14,275 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Alvarez dropped Lopez late in the second round with a left hook to the body, in the third round with another left to the body and then, in the same frame, drove him to the mat with a vicious seven-punch combination. Lopez showed heart to keep getting up, but in the fifth round, when Alvarez bent him over with a solid right hand during an offensive assault, referee Joe Cortez (who announced his retirement after the fight) stepped in to stop it at 2 minutes, 55 seconds. The fans voted Alvarez's knockout as the best of the night, giving him Golden Boy's $100,000 knockout bonus it created for the card it dubbed "Knockout Kings."

Rafael's remarks: For years, Mexican countrymen Ponce De Leon and Gonzalez have ranked among the best punchers in boxing, and many have wanted to see them fight. Finally, they met on Mexican Independence Day weekend, but rather than engaging in a slugfest that ended in a big knockout, the fight turned out to be a disappointing one marred by accidental head-butts, leading to an unsatisfying technical decision.

Gonzalez, 31, was making his fifth defense against Ponce De Leon, a 32-year-old southpaw and former junior featherweight titlist. Each was wary of the other's power, which led to a very slow start. At the end of the second round, they clashed heads and both wound up cut. Ponce De Leon had a nasty gash on his hairline while Gonzalez had a small cut over his right eye. Although the action did pick up as the fight moved along, neither seemed to want to truly engage. Moments before the sixth round ended, Ponce De Leon caught Gonzalez with an excellent left hand. Gonzalez was staggered and Ponce De Leon tagged him with shots in a follow-up flurry, sending Gonzalez down in between the ropes. He landed on the ring apron and was lucky not to fall out of the ring entirely. He didn't appear badly hurt, and the round came to an end. Ponce De Leon was putting rounds in the bank and seemed on his way to a decision win when they badly clashed heads again. Ponce De Leon's hairline cut was pouring blood, and Gonzalez was severely cut over his right eye and unable to see, forcing referee Kenny Bayless to stop it on advice of the ringside doctor with 24 seconds left in the eighth round, sending it to the scorecards for a technical decision.

It was a very good win for Ponce De Leon but a tough way for Gonzalez to lose a world title.

Rafael's remarks: Surely this fight will land on the list of fight of the year candidates. It was a terrific action brawl and the best fight of the night on the Showtime "Knockout Kings" quadrupleheader.

Maidana must be matched smartly. His people did him no favors when they matched him with the slick Devon Alexander in February and he lost a near-shutout decision when he moved up to welterweight. For his second welterweight fight, Maidana, a former junior welterweight titlist, hired trainer Robert Garcia. Garcia clearly coaxed a little more boxing out of Maidana, but this was good because Maidana, 29, of Argentina, was facing the perfect kind of opponent for him in Soto Karass, 30, of Mexico, a willing brawler who isn't going to move too much. The combination of their similar slugging styles made for a terrific action battle.

They spent most of the fight battling toe-to-toe, landing clean shots and giving the fans exactly what they wanted. Maidana always seemed in control of the fight, but Soto Karass is a very rugged, tough guy and he always seemed to be only a punch or two away from taking over. After the bell ended the third round, they continued to fight, forcing referee Kenny Bayless to warn the corners. In the fourth round, the chippiness continued and Bayless made a statement by calling time and docking points from each man for hitting on the break. The fighters continued to pummel each other in the fifth, and Maidana was lucky not to lose another point when he blatantly nailed Soto Karass with a right hand after the bell. Bayless is arguably the best referee in the world, but he missed that shot.

Maidana opened a cut over Soto Karass' right eye in the sixth round and then lost another point in the seventh round for again hitting on the break. With a few seconds left in the seventh, Maidana landed his best punch of the fight, a clean overhand right that dropped Soto Karass. In the eighth round, Soto Karass didn't look like he had entirely recovered from the knockdown and Maidana was all over him. He drove Soto Karass into the ropes and was teeing off. He unloaded roughly a dozen shots, landing many, including some powerful right hands. Although Soto Karass was half-heartedly punching back, Bayless didn't like what he saw and jumped in at 43 seconds to end a great, wild fight. Maidana put himself squarely into the hunt for a major fight in his new division and, even in the loss, Soto Karass showed that if he is matched right, he will always be in crowd-pleasing throwdowns.

Rafael's remarks: Santa Cruz, 24, who was born in Mexico but lives in Rosemead, Calif., is as crowd pleasing as they come. He throws so many punches that it's a joy to watch. He overwhelmed Vusi Malinga with his punch activity to win a vacant title in June and put on a similarly entertaining display in his dominant first defense Saturday against Morel, 36, a former flyweight titlist who still has a big heart but not enough spring in his step to deal with such an energetic youngster.

Morel, a native of Puerto Rico living in Madison, Wis., and a 1996 U.S. Olympian, lost a lopsided vacant junior featherweight title fight to Abner Mares in April. At least he went the distance with Mares. Dropping back down in weight to bantamweight, Morel got wiped out by Santa Cruz. The fight was competitive early on, with an excellent all-action first round. But Santa Cruz, who recently dumped manager Cameron Dunkin to sign with Al Haymon, is relentless. He attacked Morel to the body and was breaking him down. Morel was unlikely to quit and likely to take a beating, so his corner made the wise decision to pull him out of the fight after the fifth round. It was a valiant effort, but Santa Cruz, who may move up to junior featherweight, was not going to be denied. The CompuBox stats tell the story. Santa Cruz landed at a scary rate, 277 of 509 punches (54 percent), including a sick 66 percent of his power shots (251 of 383). Morel, meanwhile, was limited to landing 73 of 344 blows (21 percent). That won't get it done.

Rafael's remarks: Ross was made to wait for this mandatory fight while Hernandez and Steve Cunningham cleaned up their controversial confrontation. Ross, 37, a two-time Canadian Olympian from Toronto, was getting his second title shot; he had fallen short in a mildly controversial cut-induced fifth-round knockout to Cunningham in June 2010. Hernandez, 27, a former Cuban amateur standout who defected to Germany, was making the second defense of the title he won via controversial sixth-round technical decision against Steve Cunningham in October 2011. In his first defense, Hernandez won a more legitimate unanimous decision against Cunningham in February and owed Ross this mandatory bout. What a terrific fight this meeting of southpaws turned out to be.

The action was very good in the second round and then really picked up in the third as they went toe-to-toe. It was an outstanding round, the kind that will be a round of the year candidate. Ross rocked Hernandez with right hands and had him in trouble until Hernandez rallied to clobber Ross with flush shots over the final 20 seconds. For three minutes, it was all action.

In the fifth round, Ross caught Hernandez on the side of the face with a massive overhand right. Hernandez was severely rocked, and Ross pounded him to his knees with three more shots. Hernandez's legs were gone and he was wobbling all over and in big trouble as Ross blasted away. How did Hernandez survive that round? Referee David Fields certainly helped out with some well-timed (for Hernandez) breaks. As badly hurt as Hernandez was, he was able to regroup and get back into the fight.

The ninth round was another memorable one, as both guys were rocked. After Hernandez got badly hurt by a right hand, he rebounded to stagger Ross in another exciting moment in a fight filled with them. Ross closed strong over the final three rounds, rocking Hernandez a number of times. It was quite impressive that Hernandez was able to stay on his feet, but his conditioning was supreme. Ross certainly has a strong argument that he deserved the decision, or at least a draw. The 116-112 scorecard in Hernandez's favor is nonsense. At least Sauerland Event, the promoter, is interested in putting on a rematch. And why not? It was a terrific fight.