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HBO Boxing After Dark Recap

October 4, 2008

Pechanga Resort and Casino-Temecula, California

WBC Interim Super Welterweight (154 pounds) 12-Round Championship Match:

Sergio Martinez (43-1-1, 23 KO's, 154 pounds) vs. Alex Bunema (30-5-2, 16 KO's, 152.5 pounds)

The actual version of this title is now held by Vernon Forrest. Forrest won the title invoking a rematch clause in his contract after he lost the title to Sergio Mora in June. Martinez was due the mandatory title shot in June, but was paid a fee to step aside and let Forrest-Mora I happen. However, with Mora, a perceived weaker champion, holding the title Martinez did not want to take another step-aside fee, but instead cash in his money in the bank briefcase for the title shot. Not only would it have been a potential breech of contract for Mora to not have given Forrest his immediate rematch, but there was a lot less money in a Mora-Martinez match. That meant the only person who wanted that match was Martinez. Therefore, the WBC created this interim title to allow Mora to fulfill his contractually obligated rematch with Forrest and make Martinez happy, because he got a shot at the belt.

Martinez is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, who now resides in Madrid, Spain. Those countries are not known for their strong boxing. This has allowed Martinez to build up an impressive record against very uneven competition. Martinez came to the United States to win his number 1 contender's match against the 27-2, Saul Roman via knockout at 2:25 of round 4 of a scheduled 12-round match on April 27, 2007 at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Houston, Texas. Martinez then returned to the ring to stop the 3-34-2, Pavel Florin Madalin, ina scheduled 6-round match on October 6, 2007 at Polideportivo Sage 2000 in Madrid.

However, the only loss on Martinez' record game against a great opponent. Martinez entered the match against a 3-loss boxer from Tijuana, Mexico the solid betting favorite. Las Vegas was proven to not be omniscient that night, as on February 19, 2000, Martinez was defeated via technical knockout at 2:57 of round 7 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. His opponent that night is the current top boxer at 147 pounds, "The Tijuana Tornado" Antonio Margarito.

Martinez' last match was a technical knockout victory at 2:14 of round 7 over Archak TerMeliksetian on June 7, 2008 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Martinez is unranked by The Ring magazine, but the number 10 ranked boxer in the world at 154 pounds by boxrec.com.

Bunema is a grizzled veteran who has had matches with some of the elite boxers at 154 pounds. The 2 names that stick out most areJermain Taylor and a very young Kassim Ouma. On May 4, 2000, a then 9-1, Ouma defeated Bunema by technical knockout when Bunema's corner threw in the towel following round 4 in Dallas, Texas. Bunema boxed Taylor asthe Arkansas nativewas nearing his peak. Therefore on May 27, 2004, Taylor stopped Bunema via technical knockout at 2:17 of round 7, and took the Memphis, Tennessee resident's WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Championship at the Alltel Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Bunema's last match was a knockout victory at 3:00 of round 6 over Walter Matthysse on July 11, 2008 at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal, Quebec.

Bunema is The Ring's number 6 contender at 154 pounds to their vacant championship in the weight class.

Both boxers are 33-years-old. Martinez has the height advantage standing 5' 10" tall, while Bunema stands 5' 9" tall. Bunema has the reach advantage with a 24.5" arm length measured from the armpit to the end of the fist, compared to Martinez who has a 24" arm length. Both boxers have unofficially rehydrated to 165 pounds approaching match time. Martinez will employ the southpaw stance, and Bunema will employ the orthodox stance.

California's modified version of the unified rules of boxing are in effect for this event. The official judges keeping score of this match from ringside are from the United States, Venezuela and Mexico. The referee is Raul Caiz, Sr. Harold Lederman will be HBO's unofficial scorekeeper for this event.

Behind a solid right jab, Martinez wins round 1, 10-9. Lederman scores round 1 for Martinez, 10-9. Martinez easily wins round 2, 10-9. The native Argentinean boxed most of round 2 with his hands completely down around his waist. The resident of Madrid, Spain wins round 2 on Lederman's scorecard, 10-9. According to CompuBox, Bunema landed 3 total punches in round 1, and 3 total punches in round 2. A lunging left hand from Martinez sends Bunema to the canvas with 1:27 to go in round 3. Bunema is up quickly and successfully answers the referee's count for the match to continue with 1:17 to go in the round. Martinez is dominating this match and wins round 3, 10-8. Lederman scores round 3 the same. Everyone watching has Martinez ahead in the match after 3 rounds, 30-26. In round 3, Martinez landed 28 total punches. Like rounds 1 and 2, in round 3 Bunema only landed 3 total punches. Martinez was smiling and laughing in the corner after round 3.

Martinez is in complete control winning round 4, 10-9. The commentators on HBO are pointing out that based on Martinez' performance so far, the much more interesting match for Martinez is not the mandated match with Forrest, but the rematch with Margarito. Lederman scores round 4 for Martinez, 10-9. Martinez who does some work as a male model has been hit so little in this match, he should be in perfect condition to go to a photo shoot after this contest. The native of Buenos Aires cruises to easily win round 5 on Lederman and my scorecard, 10-9. Martinez must have had harder sparring sessions then this match. He easily wins round 6 on Lederman and my scorecard, 10-9. Both of us have Martinez ahead after 6 rounds, 60-53. Jim Lampley, who is doing play-by-play of this event for HBO, believes the last boxers he has seen show this much speed at 154 pounds were Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley. That was when those 2 future Hall-of-Famers were at their peak several years ago, today they are substantially slower then Martinez.

There is severe swelling around both of Bunema's eyes and in the corner before round 7 Bunema's corner told him he needed to do something quickly. With about 1 minute to go in round 7, the referee warned Bunema to do something or he was going to stop it based on the accumulation of punches. Bunema got pinned against the ropes with 10 seconds to go, and the referee was a few seconds away from moving in to stop the contest when the bell sounded. The resident of Memphis, Tennessee is running out of time to score a come from behind knockout. Martinez takes round 7 on Lederman and my scorecard, 10-9. The referee follows Bunema back to his corner after round 7 to examine the boxer with the doctor. Bunema is allowed to continue, but told this is his last round. Martinez dominates round 8 to take it, 10-9. The referee thought about stopping the match while Bunema was taking a combination of punches at the end of the round, but Bunema was able to hold on and stay the referee's hand. The match is being stopped. Bunema was given the finger movement test in the corner by the doctor and said he was feeling fine. However, the referee said Bunema had 1 more round and true to his word this match is over. Good call on the stoppage. The doctor told the referee to stop the match, and apparently it was his final call. That is part of California's modifications to the unified rules of boxing in that both the doctor and referee could stop the match. Nothing was going to get better for Bunema in the next 3 minutes despite his corner's protests. Bunema's corner said Martinez was getting tired, which was completely untrue. Martinez was so fresh he was able to periodically dance during the match.

The official outcome from tonight's ring announcer Jake Gutierrez: at 3:00 of round 8 the referee has stopped this contest on the advice of the doctor, making the winner by technical knockout, and new WBC Interim Super Welterweight Champion of the World, Sergio "Maravilla" Martinez. The win moves Martinez to 44-1-1 with 24 of those wins coming by way of knockout.

The final punchstat numbers show a completely one-sided win by Martinez. Martinez landed 212 of the 518 total punches he threw, for a 41% total connect percentage.The new champion landed 111 of the 232 power punches he threw, for an excellent 48% power connect percentage. Bunema landed 31 of the 216 total punches he threw, for a 14% total connect percentage. That works out to Bunema averaging less then 4 total punches landed per round, compared to the more then 26 total punches per round Martinez was landing. Bunema landed 19 of the 90 power punches he threw, for a 21% power connect percentage. That means Bunema was averaging less then 2.5 power punches landed per round, while Martinez was landing nearly 14 power punches per round.

Martinez was great in this match. Based on this performance he instantly becomes a boxer to watch. Following this match The Ring has named Martinez the number 6 contender at 154 pounds. It appears Matinez' next match will be against Forrest. However, with a strong performance in that match he would make a very good candidate to headline a PPV with Margarito inthe fall of 2009. Margarito is reportedly in the building at this event and look for HBO to run an impromptu angle later in the show based on this match.

Bunema's performance in this match was abysmal. The only positive coming out of this match for Bunema is that his corner did a great job. Bunema's cornersaid the perfect things and gave the exact instructions the boxer needed to hear for a game plan that could have defeated Martinez. Unfortunately, at no time did Bunema appear able to execute those instructions or look like he was close to the same caliber of boxer as Martinez. Bunema is going to need a substantial amount of rebuilding matches on ESPN to get considered for a title match, again. He would have been better off getting knocked out in 14 seconds Kimbo Slice style then being completely dominated and apparently exposed for 24 minutes. Following this loss Bunema has dropped out of The Ring's rankings at 154 pounds.

The first part of the first match was good. After seeing that Martinez could be a star at 154 pounds, it would probably be best to shut off the show. The remainder is Martinez dealing so much damage to his opponent that the doctor has to stop it.