Sergio Martinez Facing Possible Knee Surgery, According to Lewkowicz

Adviser Sampson Lewkowicz says that Sergio Martinez may have to undergo knee surgery following last night's win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. It's believed that Martinez twisted the knee in the epic 12th round, which saw Chavez Jr nearly rally from 11-0, 11-0, and 10-1 deficits on the judges' scorecards to stop the Argentinean champion.

"He is resting up. He will probably need surgery on his knee. It was a war," said Martinez's advisor, Sampson Lewkowicz, told RingTV.com. "But at the age of 37, Sergio Martinez left the ring as an idol not only for his Argentinean people, but also, worldwide."

[ Chavez Jr vs Martinez Video: Highlights & 12th Round Knockdown ]

Martinez (50-2-2, 28 KO) dominated the first 11 rounds of the fight before Chavez Jr (46-1-1, 32 KO) made his charge, nearly resulting in what would have been one of the most stirring comeback victories in memory. It was not to be, however, as Sergio recovered from a knockdown and escaped the round, and the fight, with a clear victory.

If Martinez does need knee surgery, it could either be something major that could really be a blow to his career, considering his age, or something minor that could be pretty much a quick fix and having him in the ring again in the early spring of 2013, which wouldn't be abnormal for his schedule these days.

Hopefully, he won't need it at all.

With the win, Martinez regained the WBC middleweight title that he never deserved to have taken away from him in the first place, as he never lost it in the ring and it was only via shenanigans and political power plays that the belt briefly passed to Sebastian Zbik, and then to Chavez Jr, in the first place. And it was without question the biggest win of the fighter's career, if not the best. More people know Sergio Martinez now than ever before. The hope will be that his injuries aren't so serious that some of them forget about him.