The Catalan boxer Sandor Martín gave the stature in the historic fight this morning at Madison Square Garden in New York. The victory went to the American Teófimo López, who won a split decision in a controversial fight. It was a historic event, since it had been 87 years since a Spaniard had fought in this mythical ring, when Paulino Uzcudun faced Joe Louis.
"It has been a monumental robbery. I have clearly won the fight," said the Catalan in statements to TV3. 'Ravager' was very critical of the judges' decision: "I have sent him to the canvas twice, one of the times the referee has not counted it. One of the judges has only given me two rounds won. It seems like a joke , really".
Despite the defeat, Sandor Martín wanted to highlight the great moment that Spanish boxing is going through: "I am very happy with the fight I have done. I have controlled what was happening in the ring at all times. He was desperate. I have demonstrated that in Spain, in Catalonia, there is a high level and that I am a great boxer".
The Catalan lost this Sunday by split decision against the American Teófimo López in a direct elimination of the World Boxing Council (WBC) for the super lightweight title. Not only was the stage not great for the Spaniard, but he danced with the American at Madison. Martín got the best boxing out of him, put out a Teófimo without answers and only a controversial arbitration decision left the Spaniard without victory.
Sandor stopped the effervescence of his rival, connected more effectively and uncovered the weaknesses of a Teófimo López who raised his hand to the New York sky to the whistles of his own audience. The hardest blow that the Barcelonan received was that of the cardboard.
Martín knew how to fight. He made Teofimo feel uncomfortable by stinging, looking for the counterattack and avoiding the power of the American. Demonstrating great mobility and good use of distance, he wetted López's gunpowder. He did not want to let him combine hands and, placing his right hand with speed, he was adding points and making it difficult for the rival's work.
López had to risk to get away, he knew it, he had to expose himself and he paid for it in the second round. Sandor landed a forceful right hook that dropped the American and forced the referee's count. Teofimo kept insisting, he placed few hands but with power, although he still couldn't find the formula to take out all the artillery. He drowned in the Spanish proposal.
A fortuitous headbutt caused Sandor a nosebleed, which was contained without complications and did not interrupt the rhythm. That was the biggest difficulty the Spaniard faced. In the seventh round, López fell again in an action similar to that of the second. Teofimo recovered quickly and the referee interpreted it as a slip, a real slab facing the cards for Sandor.
Nerves flourished in the corner of 'The Takeover'. It's not that he wasn't finding the best boxing in him, it's that he wasn't letting her bring it up. He could not put the Spaniard in trouble. He displayed great lateral displacements and forced Teófimo to chase shadows. López drew more hands but not with greater precision than the Spaniard.
The American wanted to press the accelerator, even he had the feeling that the fight was slipping away from him, his father insisted from the corner and he stressed this to him before the last episode. Despite precipitating his actions, he continued without finding a Sandor Martín who found his greatest rival on the cards.
95-94, 96-93 and 97-92 ruled the judges to give the victory by split decision to Téofimo López before the astonishment and whistles of Madison Square Garden. “It has been a very tough fight,” said López. Sandor Martín, visibly angry and after verbally confronting the American, did not want to comment.
