Martinez retains WBC Diamond middleweight title
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - October 2, 2011
Martinez (48-2-2, 27 KOs) landed a straight right that put
Barker (23-1, 14 KOs) on the canvas.
Barker tried to get up after a few seconds, but was still on the
ground when referee Eddie Cotton completed his 10-count at 1:29 of
the round.
"I can't remember the punch," Barker said. "My legs just fell
out from under me. I was trying to get up, but couldn't I didn't
feel he was a massive puncher before that."
Barker had some success early in the fight, landing some jabs
and a few straight rights that broke Martinez's nose in the fourth
round. But from the fifth round on, Martinez dominated the fight
behind three- and four-punch flurries that left Barker covering up
for most of the bout.
Through 10 rounds, judges Lynn Carter (96-94), Victor Loughlin
(97-94) and Alejandro Roche (99-91) all had Martinez ahead.
"I knew it would be this kind of fight," Martinez said through
an interpreter. "I planned for this. I always get a second wind.
We train for that. It's part of our game plan going in. We knew we
would get stronger as the fight went on. I just kept throwing right
hands because I knew sooner or later they would start landing."
Martinez, who lives in Oxnard, Calif., is widely considered one
of the top three pound-for-pound fighters in boxing along with
welterweights Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Martinez has
been campaigning for a fight against Pacquiao or Mayweather at a
catch-weight of around 150 pounds, but neither fighter appears
willing to move up that far in weight.
"I'll fight anybody," Martinez said, "as long as I can come
to a good deal and so can my rival."
