LAS VEGAS (AP) — Sergio Martinez gave Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. the beating he promised for 11 rounds, then barely survived being knocked out in the final round Saturday night to win the middleweight title he once held.
Martinez was quicker, busier and far more accurate as he won round after round to give Chavez his first loss and disappoint the majority of a crowd of a sold out crowd at the UNLV campus arena.
But a bloodied and battered Chavez dropped him with a pair of left hooks in the 12th round, then put him down again. Chavez was landing big punches to the head as the bell sounded to save Martinez.
