By Jake Donovan

The threat of increasing winds and rain forced Sergio Martinez to defend his middleweight championship an hour earlier than expected.

It was hardly the most difficult obstacle he had to overcome, surviving a mid-rounds knockdown to score a disputed unanimous decision over Martin Murray, Saturday evening in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The bout marked a long anticipated homecoming for Martinez, who hadn’t fought in Argentina in more than 11 years. The trip home followed months of recovery from knee surgery, which in turn followed a dominant points win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last September. 

The win over Chavez exhibited several sides of Martinez. It was further proof of his serving among the sport’s best pure athletes in the game. A shocking knockdown suffered in the final minute offered the ability to conquer any obstacle. Finally, the sold out crowd and 600,000 pay-per-view buys pulled in accentuated his growing star power.

In the fight with Chavez, Martinez played the co-star in terms of celebrity status. The setting in Buenos Aires solidified the southpaw’s status as a genuine superstar. A soccer-like atmosphere 45,000 deep served as the perfect backdrop for an intended showcase performance from the nation’s new favorite son.

Except that Murray refused to play the role of sacrificial lamb.

Martinez is infamous for fighting with his hands down by his side, confident in his boxing ability and reflexes to react once his opponents fall for the trap. Murray was baited throughout the fight, but managed to score with right hands early in the fight. The Brit was by far the larger of the two fighters, but Martinez established proper distance early and kept the fight at his desired pace throughout.

The same pattern held true for much of the early portion of the fight, as both fighters seemed weary of the damp ring and inclement weather. The settings discouraged either fighter from taking any more risks than necessary. 

Martinez remained in control but was increasingly forced to stay on his guard with each passing round. Murray found success with straight right hands both upstairs and to the body, though never to the point of enjoying a sustained attack. Efforts to target Martinez’ midsection were momentarily thwarted when he was warned for a low blow that gave the 38-year old southpaw an unofficial timeout in the fourth round. 

Open scoring revealed that Martinez was ahead on all three scorecards through four rounds, up 40-36 and 39-37 (twice). Murray never seemed worried, closing the gap in the fifth round and taking the fight to the defending champion for much of the middle rounds.

The sight of his own blood proved troubling for Martinez, who was caught with a punch and a follow-up shoulder from Murray to produce a cut around his left eye. Martinez sought assistance from ringside officials, but was quickly reminded that boxing is a one-on-one sport.

Murray dramatically turned the tide in round eight. A straight right hand put Martinez on the canvas, marking the fifth time in his past eight fights in which the Argentine has been floored, including in each of his past three fights. Martinez was sluggish in rising to his feet, perhaps confident that his usual late round struggles would transition to an explosive finish.

That rally was certainly needed after open scoring revealed a significant narrowing of the gap. Martinez remained in the lead, but scores of 77-74 and 76-75 (twice) proved that Murray’s work in the mid-rounds was well appreciated by the three-person ringside panel.

Martinez enjoyed a solid recovery in round nine. It wasn’t dominant by any stretch, but enough of a momentum shift to slow down the durable Brit. Martinez found success with his straight left hand, but was reminded by his corner in between rounds that it wouldn’t hurt to throw an occasional jab.

The advice didn’t at all take. Martinez refused to help himself, but received assistance from the referee after an apparent knockdown was ruled a slip midway through the 10th round. Murray wasn’t at all bothered, taking the fight to the champ during the entire three-minute stretch.

Instant replay offered in between rounds was suggested to validate the referee's non-call. The popular opinion was that it was still the very wrong call, though it wouldn't factor into the final scoring. 

An air of nervousness was sensed among the once raucous crowd, whose earlier chants were converted to late round rally cheers. Martinez dug deep in search of a second wind, but instead settled for winning an ugly 11th round in which he may or may not have damaged his left hand.

A late surge in the 12th and final round proved enough to preserve a narrow - if not disputed - lead on the scorecards. All three judges scored the bout 115-112 in favor of Martinez, who advanced to 51-2-2 (28KO). 

Murray suffers his first defeat as a pro as he falls to 25-1-1 (11KO). His lone other road trip resulted in a controversial draw with Felix Sturm 16 months ago in Germany.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as a member of Transnational Boxing Ratings Board, Yahoo Boxing Ratings Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox