Martinez vs. Chavez Jr., plus Canelo Alvarez recap

We'll be switching back and forth from HBO PPV over to Showtime for tonight's boxing.

The first major fight on the HBO card saw Cuban exile and former two-time gold medalist Guillermo Rigondeaux win a unanimous decision over Robert Marroquin to retain his WBA super bantamweight title. Rigondeaux dropped a bloodied Marroquin in the last round.

We are no switching over to Showtime to watch welterweights Marcos Maidana-Jesus Soto Karass. So far, through six rounds, the Maidana-Karass fight is a slugfest. Maidana just scored a big knockdown at the close of the 7th round. A big right hand.

It's over. Maidana scores a TKO in the eighth round. Referee Kenny Bayless stops it. Perhaps a bit quickly but Maidana would have eventually stopped Soto Karass. 

Back over on HBO, Matthew Macklin, who lost to Sergio Martinez in March, just knocked out Joachim Alcine in the first round.

Over on Showtime, a bloodied Daniel Ponce De Leon dropped Jhonny Gonzalez in round six. 

A bad cut over Gonzalez's eye from a head butt forces them to go to the scorecards in the 8th round. It was an accidental butt. They have it 79-72 (twice) and 77-74 for the winner - via technical decision - Ponce De Leon. 

Over on HBO PPV, Rocky Martinez takes a split decision over Miguel Beltran.

OK. Staying with HBO now. Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the ring. Michael Buffer gives his signature call now.

Pro Chavez crowd, chanting, "Chavez, Chavez, Chavez."

A slow round. Sergio Martinez wins it, just busier. Round 1, SM, 10-9.

A closer round. Chavez was showing me something with those left hooks to the body. But not sure he did enough. Martinez still a bit busier. But I think JCC is feeling more comfortable. Round 2. SM 10-9, 20-18.

Sergio is picking him apart. Landing a lot punches, not terribly hard, but he is scoring and moving. Chavez just following him around the ring. Round 3. SM 10-9, 30-27, SM.

Sergio is winning every aspect of the fight. On the inside and the outside. He's scoring almost at will. Great exchange at the end of the round and Sergio comes out stronger after it. Round 4. SM 10-9. 40-36, SM.

It seems at this point that Chavez is overwhelmed by the magnitude of the fight. He's barely fighting. Martinez is picking him apart round after round. Round 5: 10-9, SM. 50-45, SM

Whether he's countering and leading, Martinez is nailing Chavez. When Chavez rallies, as he did briefly in this round, Martinez answers back harder. Chavez is stepping it up a bit more, but not nearly enough. Round 6: 10-9, SM. 60-54, SM.

Chavez can't keep up. He's trying but everything he does, Martinez has answer for and more. Chavez bleeding from the nose and mouth and Martinez is exploiting JCC's inexperience. Round 7, 10-9 SM. 70-63, SM.

Martinez is cut over the left eye. Doesn't look serious. It's really more of the same. Round after round, same formula for Sergio, Not even sure how he got cut. Round 8, 10-9, SM. 80-72, SM.

More of the same. Both guys bleeding but Sergio is coasting. Round 9, 10-9, SM. 90-81, SM.

Accidental clash of heads makes both fighters walk away and grimace. No other real highlight, other than Martinez's brilliance inside the ropes. He's pitching a shutout. Round 10, 10-9, SM. 100-90, SM.

Chavez lands a big right hand, but Sergio comes right back, He's way too fast. Chavez backs him to teh corner and pounds away. Best sequence so far Chavez. But Sergio comes right back and forces JCC all the way across the ring. Both fighters finish strong and throwing. Round 11, 10-9, SM, 110-99, SM. 

Chavez wobbles Sergio with RH. Drops him with a follow up flurry. Sergio is staggering all over the ring. JCC may not have enough to finish him. JCC bombing away but doesn't have enough to finish the job. Great rally by JCC, but won't be enough. Sergio somehow holds on to finish on his feet. He was bleeding and battered at the end of it. Almost shades of JCC Sr. against Meldrick Taylor. Round 12, JCC 10-8, 118-109, SM.

Official scores are - 117-110, 118-109 and 118-109 all for Sergio Martinez.

We are going over to Showtime on the DVR to catch the Canelo Alvarez-Josesito Lopez fight.

Canelo stops Lopez at the close of the 5th round. On the way, he dropped him with vicious left hooks to the body and clubbed him with overhand rights. It was a brutal performance. But give Lopez a ton of credit. He came back and back and back. He never stopped swinging. But Canelo was too much for him.

The fight I want to see next is Canelo vs. either Sergio Martinez or Julio Cesar Chavez  Jr.