Sergio Martinez Makes Easy Work Of Jose Mandel Fandino In Seven
In his first fight since 2014, former WBC World Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez (52-3-2, 29 KOs) made a successful comeback. He made easy work of Jose Mandel Fandino (15-7, 8 KOs), stopping him in seven rounds at the El Malecon in Torrelavega, Spain.
Throughout his career, Martinez was a southpaw who relied on his outstanding speed, athleticism, and the ability to maneuver around the ring with ease. The 45-year-old used those attributes his overall talent advantage to outbox Fandino and gain an early lead in the fight. The only semi-cause for concern through the first four rounds was a slight cut over his left eye.
Fandino, on the other hand, offered little resistance. He did a lot of posing but little fighting. To say he was passive would be an understatement. The pace of the bout perked up in the middle rounds as Martinez began to unleash more powerful combinations. In round six, he stunned his foe and was credited with a knockdown midway through the round from a series of combinations.
Sensing a possible stoppage, Martinez kept up the pressure in the seventh. Another left to the pit of the stomach during the round produced a second knockdown. Down on all fours, Fandino’s corner threw in the towel.
WHERE FROM HERE?
It’s hard to ascertain what this comeback means. Previously plagued by knee and hand injuries, Martinez boxed in surprisingly decent form and even showed slight glimpses of the style that had him regarded at one time as one of the best Pound-For-Pound boxers in the world. Even in his mid 40’s, the athleticism is still there.
However, he was fighting a Fandino who everyone knew going in was a vastly inferior opponent with no real shot at winning. A successful return yes, but it’s completely unknown what’s in his future. This was no indication that the fighter who calls himself “Maravilla” Martinez is really “back”.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
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