Though it was a middleweight fight dubbed ‘Get Your Irish Up’ for St Patrick’s Day, Matthew Macklin’s fans watched as the boxer failed to rise for the 12th round last night.
The boxer – who is English but has Irish parents – was the favourite to last night’s bout at Madison Square Garden but was stopped in the 11th by his opponent Sergio Martinez. Macklin ended the fight on his stool after his corner asked referee Eddie Cotton to stop the fight.
“It was the right thing to stop the fight,” boasted a victorious Martinez afterwards. “He will now have a tomorrow. He would not have had a tomorrow if they continued the fight.”
“The better man won tonight. I thought it was a close fight up until the last few rounds when he pulled away,” said Macklin, who was cheered by a huge Irish contingent that rose for the Irish national anthem prior to the bout.
“I lost my shape a bit,” Macklin said. “I think I proved where I belong tonight and that is in the top two or three. I don’t think too many could give him this tough a fight.”
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ podcast – listen to the latest episode now!
