JC Chavez Jr. vs. Sergio Martinez: Despite Knockdown, Rematch Not in Order

For more than 11 lengthy rounds, the audience at the Thomas and Mack Center were treated to a boring boxing show Saturday night, featuring  Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Sergio Martinez.

But to the the delight of some of those in attendance who were already on their way out of the venue after watching the fight, the young Chavez knocked down Martinez with a power shot to the temple, followed by a flurry of punches that could have brought the Argentinian star down for good.

But luck was on Martinez's side when Chavez ran short of time to put finishing touches to what could have been a devastating round of the evening and a won fight for Chavez.

Though wobbly and badly beaten, Martinez held on and won convincingly 117-110 and twice at 118-109 on the judges' scorecards.

In the early rounds, Chavez was on the receiving end of Martinez's jabs and power punches that found their mark on Chavez's face and body. Halfway through the 12-round fight, blood flowed from Chavez's nose as Martinez continued his attack.

Martinez dominated the fight from the first to 11th round, as the Argentinian exposed the young Chavez as a highly promoted and overrated fighter.

Critics say Chavez's first taste of defeat could be a wake-up call for him to take his career seriously by improving his skill and maintaining discipline while preparing for a major fight.

Boxing insiders criticize Chavez for reportedly taking his training lightly, sometimes skipping training sessions as planned for him by his trainer Freddie Roach.

He has also been criticized for ducking the best and brightest out there, but at least he had the guts to face the highly skilled and experienced Martinez, which makes him different from his compatriot Canelo Alvarez, who continues to face less-capable opponents—though he had the guts to shame Shane Mosley recently before facing Joselito Lopez. 

But in fairness to the young Chavez, he has shown tremendous staying power and ability to withstand pressure when attacked. Fans have also noticed his fairly durable chin, which is an added physical advantage.

In Saturday's fight, Freddie Roach must have realized Chavez will not gain points when he was more concerned about his defense and not throwing offensive punches, thereby allowing Martinez to pile up more points.

In the later rounds, Roach told Chavez that "after the 10th round he was going to stop the fight if he didn't do something spectacular," according to ESPN's Dan Rafael. It was at that point when Chavez started throwing more punches, which resulted in a near knockout in the last round.

Chavez's promoter Bob Arum said a rematch is possible, as he told Boxing Scene of the possibility of staging it at the giant Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Still, boxing fans and critics say a rematch won't be necessary if Chavez will not change his fighting style against Martinez, as he will just be at the receiving end of his attacks, which have found their targets with relative ease.