Margarito punishes opponent to retain WBO welterweight title

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Mexico's Antonio Margarito retained his World Boxing Organization welterweight title Friday night, stopping Argentina's Sebastian Lujan in the 10th round at Boardwalk Hall.

Referee David Fields stopped the bout at 2:57 of the 10th round after ringside physician Dr. Eric Wurmser noticed that the top half of Lujan's left ear had been torn open and was hanging off.

"The cartilage around the entire rim of his ear came off," Wurmser said.

Lujan (22-2-1) left the ring with a towel draped over his head and was taken to Atlantic City Medical Center to receive stitches.

The win by Margarito (31-4, 22 KOs) set up a bout against highly regarded Kermit Cintron (24-0, 22 KOs), of Reading, Pa., scheduled for Las Vegas on April 23.

"Cintron is undefeated, so he must be good," Margarito said. "But I've met a lot of undefeated fighters, and they all went home with a defeat. I don't think Cintron will be any exception."

Cintron, who was sitting ringside, was supposed to meet Steven Martinez in Friday's co-feature, but pulled out of the bout because of concerns about his surgically repaired right hand.

Martinez fought Joshua Clottey. Their scheduled 10-round ended in a no-decision after Martinez suffered a cut above his left eye from an accidental head butt.