Sergio Martinez did not look like a fighter who had just shocked the boxing world by upsetting Kelly Pavlik for the WBO and WBC middleweight championships at Boardwalk Hall Saturday night.
Indeed, the handsome 35-year-old Argentine, wearing sunglasses and a wide smile, could've passed for a Hollywood star as he addressed the news media at his post-fight press conference.
Through an interpreter, Martinez told of a childhood growing up dirt poor in Argentina, and dreaming of one day becoming a world champion. He was also a star soccer player and cyclist. He didn't start boxing until he was 20.
"Boxing gives you a chance to dream of a day like today," Martinez said. "I never stopped dreaming of becoming a champion. And today I accomplished that dream.
"And I will always know that I am a world champion."
Martinez, looking much smaller than Pavlik in the ring, moved around during the first eight rounds, using his quickness to make Pavlik miss many of his punches, and connecting on occasional jabs and right hooks.
Martinez overcame a seventh-round knockdown by Pavlik.
The last four rounds, Martinez — nicknamed Maravilla, "The Marvelous One" — dominated the 28-year-old champion, opening up two nasty cuts around both of Pavlik's eyes, and turning his face into a bloody mess by the final bell. Pavlik needed at least 36 stitches to close up the gashes. Martinez landed 112 punches in the final four rounds to Pavlik's 51, according to statistics provided by CompuBox.
"He came out in the ninth with a sense of purpose, and the fight just turned," said Lou DiBella, Martinez's promoter. "He sliced him up — that was just speed and angles — and he destroyed him. It was as dominant a last four rounds against a great fighter (as I've seen)."
There is a rematch clause, and both fighters indicated it's a possibility. "It's hard to make 160 (pounds), but I hate losing," said Pavlik (36-2, 32 KOs). "I want to get those belts back."
Martinez (45-2-2, 24 KOs), also could get a rematch with Paul Williams, who won a majority decision against Martinez last December that was a top candidate for fight of the year, and which many thought Martinez might have won.
Williams fights Kermit Cintron on May 8, and the winner of that fight could fight Martinez.
Another possible opponent is Antonio Margarito, who has been suspended from boxing for a year because a hardening substance was found in his hand wraps before his loss to Shane Mosley in January 2009. Margarito, who fights on May 8 against Roberto Garcia in Mexico, handed Martinez his first loss a decade ago.
DiBella also mentioned Alfredo Angulo (17-1-1, 14 KOs), who fights Saturday against Joel Julio in California for the WBO interim light middleweight title.
Suddenly, for Martinez, the future looks brighter than ever. He made just under $1 million for this fight — "he'll never make less than a million for awhile," said DiBella. "I think he's still in the prime of his career even though he's in his mid-thirties. He's just discovered how good he is. He's got a window of years where he could really be a superstar."
Yet, DiBella says Martinez knows his time is now.
"He knows he's not a kid. He knows he's got a (limited) number of years left …," he said.
"He wants to be a superstar. He wants to entertain. This guy grew up starving. He wants to make money."