Martinez Defeats Badillo to Win Bantamweight Title

New York’s Mauricio Martinez won the North American Boxing Organization’s vacant bantamweight title with a 10th-round knockout of Mexico City’s Marcos Badillo in front of an announced crowd of 3,468 Monday night at the Arrowhead Pond.

Martinez knocked down Badillo in the fourth and ninth rounds with left hooks. In the 10th, Martinez caught Badillo with two clean combinations before referee Marty Denkin stopped the bout 1 minute 46 seconds into the round.

“This is the first step to the world title, which is what I really want,” Martinez said.

Early in the fight, Martinez (12-3-1, seven knockouts), a lanky left-hander, had problems finding Badillo (11-4), a fellow lefty. But in the fifth, he opened a cut under Badillo’s eye.

In the semi-main event, junior featherweight Israel Vazquez (18-1) of Mexico City had his second consecutive impressive Pond performance, a 10-round unanimous decision victory over journeyman Juan Manuel Chavez (21-21) of Mexico City.

Vazquez, 20, had youth and quickness on his side against Chavez, 35. He pounded away at Chavez’s midsection and face at will.