Sergio Martinez vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

In an eagerly awaited WBC World Middleweight Title bout held on 15th September 2012, Argentine Sergio Martinez faced off against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. of Mexico at the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas. The match was the fourth defense of Martinez's WBC title and his fifth defense of The Ring Magazine Middleweight Title. Both fighters entered the ring with impressive records, Martinez at 49-2-2 and Chavez Jr at 46-0-1, and weighed in at 159 lbs and 158 lbs respectively. After twelve grueling rounds, Martinez emerged the victor via unanimous decision, with judges Adalaide Byrd and Dave Moretti scoring the fight 118-109 and Stanley Christodoulou tallying 117-110 in favor of the Argentine.

Martinez's victory, however, came at a considerable physical toll. He was knocked down in the 12th round and subsequently hospitalized for multiple injuries, including a broken left hand sustained in the 4th round, a right knee injury likely acquired during the knockdown, a large cut over his left eye requiring eight stitches, and a head wound needing staples. In a shocking turn of events, it was revealed post-fight that Chavez had tested positive for marijuana. Consequently, the Nevada Athletic Commission suspended him for nine months retroactively and imposed a hefty $900,000 fine.

The showdown, promoted by Top Rank & DiBella Entertainment, drew a massive crowd, with the Nevada State Athletic Commission reporting the sale of all 16,939 tickets for the eight-fight card, and an additional 751 tickets given away for free. The total gate revenue stood at a substantial $3,052,475. HBO Pay-Per-View reported 475,000 buys, generating close to $25 million in revenue.

The fight purse was skewed in favor of Chavez Jr, who took home $3 million, while Martinez earned $1.4 million. The fight saw a slow start in the first round, with Chavez Jr picking up pace in the second. Martinez turned the tables in the third, controlling the fight with quick, accurate punches that left Chavez Jr floundering in the fourth and fifth rounds.

Despite a strong start to the sixth round, Chavez Jr couldn't maintain momentum, with Martinez stealing the round with a boxing clinic in the final minute. The Argentine fighter continued his dominance into the seventh round, with Chavez Jr managing only a limited comeback in the eighth.

The ninth round saw Martinez control the action, despite a cut above his left eye and a visibly swollen face. He maintained his lead in the tenth round, though his pace began to slow. The eleventh round was a back-and-forth war, with both fighters landing significant blows. In the final round, Chavez Jr managed to knock Martinez down with several hard punches, sending the crowd into a frenzy. However, despite his best efforts, he couldn't put Martinez away before the final bell, concluding a thrilling night of boxing that had over 19,000 spectators on their feet.