RingTV.com has a live round-by-round update of tonight’s WBO junior lightweight title bout that ended after RING featherweight champion Mikey Garcia rose from a second-round knockdown to dethrone beltholder Roman “Rocky” Martinez by eighth-round knockout. The fight was part of an HBO tripleheader airing live from American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Garcia (33-0, 28 knockouts), who turns 26 next month, was over the contracted 126-pound weight limit prior to his last fight in June — a fourth-round knockout of former titleholder Juan Manuel Lopez.

Garcia was the WBO’s mandatory challenger to face Martinez (27-2-2, 16 KOs), a 30-year-old who was coming off a split-decision victory in April over previously unbeaten Diego Magdaleno and a split-draw with Juan Carlos Burgos in January.

The HBO broadcast began at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT Saturday night.

Garcia vs. Martinez

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Referee: Laurence Cole

Judges: Oren Shellenberger, David Iacobucci, Levi Martinez

Juan Manuel Lopez is in the ring with Martinez; Garcia wearing black cowboy hat.

MICHAEL BUFFER: ‘LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!!!!’

GARCIA WINS BY EIGHTH-ROUND KO AFTER MARTINEZ IS COUNTED OUT AT THE 0:56 MARK

Round 1: Garcia’s poised behind his jab. Soft right to the body by Martinez. Many of Martinez’s reaching shots are short. Garcia’s jab has Martinez in retreat. It’s a head-popping up-jab and also a straight one. Garcia’s in total control from the out-set. Decent follow up right by Garcia late in the round during which he successfully blunted most of Martinez’s attack. Garcia, 10-9.

Round 2: Garcia out-landed Martinez, 11-5, in the first round. Left hook after the jab by Garcia. Another left hook by Garcia. Yet another short hook inside by Garcia. One of two jabs land for Martinez, who takes a counter left. Right by Garcia. Double-left hook by Garcia and a counter-left by Garcia. Martinez can’t win in retreat. GARCIA’S DOWN BY A PERFECT COUNTER-RIGHT HAND!!!! He’s up, and finishes the final 16 seconds, appearing more disappointed than hurt. Martinez, 10-8; Martinez, 19-18.

Round 3: Fighters each landed nine punches in the second. Steve Weisfeld has it 19-18 for Martinez. Garcia’s still moving forward, but Martinez is landing better, throwing and landing the right more. Two solid jabs by Garcia and a right. Sound left hook and a right by Martinez. Left and a hard right by Garcia. Good movement and two left hooks by Garcia. Martinez lands a right amid a flurry of blows at the bell. Garcia, 10-9; Even, 28-28.

Round 4: Steve Weisfeld has it 28-28. Garcia had a 14-8 edge in punches landed in the third. Garcia’s back in control, landing a heavier jab. Martinez leaps in but has trouble landing. Left hook by Garcia. Another Garcia left hook. Jab by Martinez. Two more jabs by Garcia. Right hand by Garcia. Head-popping jab and right by Garcia. Martinez grazes with one of four punches thrown — a left to the body. Right by Martinez, jab by Garcia. Right by Martinez. Left hook by Garcia and a right by Martinez. Garcia, 10-9; Garcia, 38-37.

Round 5: Weisfeld has it for Garcia, 38-37. Left hooks and jabs are telling for Garcia, who continues to control the pace with his jab and occasional right hand. Another head-popping jab by Garcia followed by two more jabs. Martinez is short with three jabs. Nice right by Martinez. Two jabs and a right followed by a left hook all by Garcia, causing a stumble by Martinez. Another left hook lands for Garcia prior to the bell. Garcia, 10-9; Garcia, 48-46.

Round 6: Garcia has the edge in power shots, 22-21, overall for the night. Weisfeld has it, 48-46, for Garcia, who is back to jabbing and countering and following up with the right hand. Martinez starts to move forward, but is backed up by a left hook. Nice left hook by Martinez. GARCIA LEFT HOOK ALMOST DROPS MARTINEZ. Hard right by Garcia. Maratinez takes another hard right. Another left hook by Garcia. RIGHT-, LEFT- AND RIGHT DRILL MARTINEZ. LEFT TO THE BODY BY GARCIA. Leftt hook by Garcia. The crowd’s alive. Garcia, 10-9; Garcia, 58-55.

Round 7: Garcia out-lands Martinez, 18-3, in the sixth. Weisfeld has it for Garcia, 58-55. Martinez still is having some success with the jab, but, at this point, Garcia’s in conrtol. HARD RIGHT HAND BY GARCIA AND ANOTHER SHORT RIGHT. HARD LEFT HOOK BY GARCIA. Right by Garcia off the jab. Solid up-jabs from Garcia, who fires a right to the body. Garcia’s boxing in retreat before landing another hard right. TWO HARD RIGHTS AND A LEFT HOOK BY GARCIA prior to the bell. Garcia, 10-9; Garcia, 68-64.

Round 8: Garcia had a 20-2 advantage in punches landed in tthe seventh round. Hard right after the left by Garcia, who takes a right. LEFT TO THE BODY HAS MARTINEZ DOWN, AND HE’S ON ALL FOURS. FIGHT IS OVER AS REFEREE LAURENCE COLE COUNTS TO 10 AND WAVES AN END TO THE FIGHT.

GARCIA WINS BY EIGHTH-ROUND KO AT THE 0:56 MARK

Photo by Chris Farina, Top Rank

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]