Brave Macklin goes down fighting

There’s life in the old dog yet.

Sergio Martinez proved on Saturday night that, at 37, he still has the agility to match a powerful left hand but he was made to work for it by Matthew Macklin in an enthralling contest at Madison Square Garden.

Roared on by a vocal Irish support, Macklin had the edge on the scorecard going into the 10th round when a torrent of Martinez pressure forced the Birmingham-born boxer’s corner man, Buddy McGirt, to call a halt to the fight at the end of the 11th.