adminNEW YORK. — Badou Jack knocked out a tooth and almost knocked out the referee but he couldn’t convince the judges on Saturday that he did enough against James DeGale to become the unified super-middleweight boxing champ.
Both boxing champions suffered knockdowns in the action-packed title fight which ended in a draw after two judges scored it 113-113 and the other had it 114-112 in favour of DeGale.
The fighters retained their belts and each complained afterwards that they had won the fight at the Barclays Center arena.
World Boxing Council champion Jack was knocked down in the opening round when he got hit by a left hand.
It was the third time he had been knocked down in his career, but he gained a measure of revenge by knocking out one of DeGale’s teeth in the 10th round.
DeGale barely survived the final round when he was knocked down by a right uppercut on the chin. He managed to get up but threw very few punches during the rest of the 12th round.
“I thought I won the fight,” said Sweden’s Jack inside the ring immediately following the fight. “I finished stronger. His knockdown was a flash knockdown.”
International Boxing Federation champ DeGale was standing next to Jack and had heard enough. — AFP.
Online Reporter