Chavez won a ten-round decision. Martin (34-5-1, 12 KOs) retired after this fight.
THE MAIN EVENT – Michael Moorer won a mixed decision over Vaughn Bean for the IBF heavyweight title. Also on the card, Laurent Boudouani successfully defended his WBA light middleweight title against Carl Daniels. WBC Minimumweight champ Ricardo Lopez retained his title with a decision win over Mongkol Charoen. WBO Minimumweight champ Alex Sanchez retained his title with an unanimous decision over Jose Victor Burgos.
THE OPPONENT – Tony Martin began boxing in Philadelphia in 1985. Names on his record include Sammy Fuentes (TKO by 5, 1987), Livingstone Bramble (UD, 1990) and Micky Ward (decision, 1991). In 1996, Martin defeated Kip Diggs with a tenth-round knockout to win the USBA welterweight title. After a successful defense over Skipper Kelp, Martin defeated Diggs again, this time on points for the NABF welterweight title. Just a couple of months later was this fight with Chavez, after which he retired with a record of 34-6-1 (12).
ROUND ONE – The fighters moved around the ring sizing each other up. Martin threw just a couple of jabs in the first minute before landing a good left hook. Chavez, who had been waiting for an opening, finally came in with a solid right, but Martin responded with hooks to the head and body. Martin landed a few more hooks and an occasional combo but with sometimes lengthy pauses between punches. Chavez was patient and did not throw much either but managed to bloody Martin’s nose with one of his lefts. Martin’s counterpunches for the most part weren’t landing, but he managed to get in a few light punches before the bell. A small cut had formed on the bridge of Martin’s nose.
CORNER – In Martin’s corner were trainer Oscar Hilton, manager Rob Murray, Cory Peete and cutmen Dr. Rosetta Garres. In Chavez’s corner were trainer/cutman Buffalo Martin, Rodolfo Chavez, Joe Hurtado and Dr. Armando Barak.
ROUND TWO – Both fighters were using the ring defensively so that those few punches which were thrown missed. After the two got in close enough to land a few punches. Chavez was warned for a low blow. Martin came at him with a straight right, but Chavez soon matched it. Chavez landed another good right in response to a hook by Martin, but there were still extended pauses in the action. Chavez picked things up in the later part of the round, responding to Martin’s hooks with hooks of his own and a few more solid rights and pressing Martin against the ropes.
ROUND THREE – Martin came out strong and fast with hooks to both the head and body, but Chavez traded some hooks of his own. The crowd chanted “Julio!” and encouraged Chavez to land to hard rights in a row. Martin landed and was warned for a low blow. Chavez was throwing strong punches which mostly missed their retreating target. Martin was soon set to trade again and landed a hook flush on Chavez’s face after getting hit with another right. The distance between the fighters was perfect for strong power shots, and Martin tried to stay a little farther apart by backing up and throwing the jab. Another hard right by Chavez initiated furious trading in the final seconds, in which Martin also landed a good right hand. At the end of the round, Martin was showing a little swelling under his right eye.
ROUND FOUR – Chavez came in with a solid left-right combo. Patiently, he traded a few jabs with Martin and moved around the ring. Martin moved in but landed only glancing blows. Chavez evoked a warning from the referee for holding and hitting but then landed a clean combo–a hard hook to the body and a right to the head. Martin landed a damaging low blow but received only a warning as the referee deemed it accidental. Chavez took only about half a minute to rest before coming back with hooks to the head. Martin traded with him and landed a straight right and a combo but nothing strong enough to hurt his opponent. Chavez evoked another warning from the referee for holding while hitting but continued cleanly with a left to the head. Martin was backed up against the ropes where he took some punishment to the body but soon escaped. Chavez forced him back on the ropes, though, with more body shots and got in a solid right before being clinched. He was just about to get Martin to the ropes once again when the bell rang to end the round.
ROUND FIVE – The first good punch of the round was a solid left to Chavez’s head. There were a lot of missed punches by both fighters, but Chavez got the majority of and the harder punches of those that were landed. Martin matched a right by Chavez, but his right eye had swollen a little more and he was being hit more consistently with hooks to the body. Chavez was worried a little from a headbutt, but there was no blood. He landed some clean hooks and good jabs. Martin responded with another hard low blow and the referee separated the fighters to deduct a point from Martin, but Chavez did not get any extra time to rest. He came in with a hard left, though, and the fighters traded furiously for the final seconds left before the bell.
ROUND SIX – Martin came forward with furious punches for the first half minute, pushing Chavez back into the ropes. Both fighters rested a little after this. Chavez jabbed and got the hook in. Martin landed a right over a left by Chavez. Chavez not as aggressive, partly because Martin was moving his head more and not providing an easy target for him. In that manner, Martin was able to block most of his punches and lands another good right. The fans chanted Chavez’s name in the final seconds, and he landed a couple of good hooks. Both fighters looked tired, though, and clinched a little before the bell. There was now also some ugly swelling under the left eye of Chavez.
ROUND SEVEN – After a slow start, Martin went in with a right, to which Chavez responded with a double jab. Again both fighters were just waiting for the opening and only throwing a few jabs in the meantime. Halfway into the round, Martin landed two solid rights, but Chavez matched them with one of his own and a double hook on Martin’s face. Chavez tried to press the action some more but was clinched by Martin. Finally Martin started attacking again, but it was Chavez who landed a left and a resonant right. Martin took his hard shots, though, and traded up to the bell.
ROUND EIGHT – Martin started with the jab to the head and body, then went for a combo of hooks but missed. Chavez landed a few jabs. Again Martin landed a good right, but both fighters looked a little tired and there was some light clinching. Martin was still landing some good shots, but was warned again to keep his punches up. A hard left by Chavez was Matched by Martin but not quite as strong. After another clinch, Martin landed some good hooks to the head. There were no really damaging punches, but both fighters kept trading up to the bell.
ROUND NINE – Martin was more aggressive to start but didn’t land anything flush and was warned again for a low blow. Less than a minute in, Chavez missed a left but got in a lunging right that lessened the number of punches coming from his opponent. The crowd cheered as Chavez landed combos to Martin’s head. Martin tried to respond but missed, and Chavez landed to the body. Martin looked tired and wasn’t throwing back much but got in a couple of solid rights during the slow middle of the round. Just before the bell, both fighters started to trade wildly, but hardly any punches landed in this exchange.
ROUND TEN – Not as many punches landed this round. Martin landed a few punches but nothing hard. Chavez came at him but was clinched again and then missed a combo as Martin backed up. Chavez attacked on the inside, but Martin keeps trying to hold and was getting his arms in the way of Chavez’s punches. Chavez landed a couple of good rights and kept throwing up until the bell, as Martin tried to evade. The unanimous decision went to Chavez.
Location: Las Vegas
Venue: Hilton Hotel & Casino
Scheduled: 10 Rounds
Referee: Kenny Bayless
Judge Duane Ford: 97-92
Judge Al Siciliano: 97-92
Judge Glen Trowbridge: 98-91
Promoter: Don King
Broadcast: Showtime PPV
Ring Announcer: Jimmy Lennon Jr.
Commentator: Steve Albert
Commentator: Ferdie Pacheco
Commentator: Bobby Czyz