Danny Green Returns to Smash Anthony Van Niekerk
By Anthony Cocks at ringside, DoghouseBoxing.com (April 27, 2009)  
Former WBA light heavyweight champion Danny Green 26-3 (23) made a successfully return to the ring on Sunday night when he defeated South African Anthony van Niekerk 21-7-2 (13) by second round knockout at Challenge Stadium in Perth, Western Australia.

Thirteen months after stunning the boxing world by announcing his retirement, Green showed little ring rust as he dominated the 35 year old former South African middleweight champion from the opening bell.

Green, who turned 36 last month, landed a short left hook in the opening stanza that visibly shook van Niekerk. The Angelo Hyder trained fighter continued to control the tempo of the round with his educated left jab.

Van Niekerk fared no better in the second round as a left hook to the temple followed by a right hand to the ear dropped the visitor heavily. Although he managed to beat the count the writing was on the wall for van Niekerk, who crumpled again from a stiff right hand and was in no fit state to continue. The official time of the stoppage was 2:42.

With the win Green keeps his hopes alive for a lucrative rematch with arch-nemesis Anthony Mundine.

"I think if I fought King Kong tonight it would have been the same, I felt great," Green said. "Anthony Mundine, you called me out... it's lights out."

In the main support bout ‘Action’ Jackson Asiku 24-3 (13) put on a polished performance to be come the first man to stop Gairy St Clair in 53 professional bouts. Unfortunately Asiku’s win was marred by a poor performance by referee Gary Ingraham, who allowed the bout to continue in the ninth round after St Clair was dropped and badly hurt by a three-punch Asiku combination.

The Ugandan-born Commonwealth featherweight champion took the fight to St Clair early on, walking him on to accurate jabs and chopping right hands. A short right cross from Asiku dropped St Clair heavily in the second round and the former IBF junior lightweight titlist showed heart to regain his feet and soldier on.

St Clair weathered the storm the best his could, but as the rounds progressed the fight became increasingly one-sided. Late in the seventh another right hand had St Clair hurt and clinging on for dear life.

In the ninth round a left hook, right cross, left hook combination landed flush on St Clair’s head, sending him to the canvas. With his brain discombobulated and his arms and legs flailing, St Clair miraculously made it to his feet by the count of nine. While he had beaten the count it was patently clear to everyone at ringside and watching live on TV that St Clair was in no shape to continue, yet in a moment of madness referee Ingraham allowed the fight to carry on – even as the ringside physician was trying to get into the ring to tend to fallen boxer.

A reluctant Asiku landed four more flush punches and as St Clair toppled to the canvas once again, Ingraham finally decided to wave the fight off.

St Clair, 41-10-2 (18), who has shared the square ring with such notable punchers as Diego Corrales, Amir Khan and Vivian Harris, must now look to close the book on his illustrious career.

In other bouts, William Kickett 14-1 (5) got back in the win column after his shock first round knockout loss to Ahmed Elomar in November last year with a solid six round points win over Moses Seran 20-13 (10). Scores were 60-53 and 60-54 twice.

Frank LoPorto 11-3-2 (5) and Robbie Bryant 7-1-1 (4) battled to a six round split decision in what was clearly the fight of the night. After wobbling Bryant late in the first round with his two fisted attack, LoPorto continued to rough up the hometown favourite in the second and third rounds. The tide turned in the fifth when Bryant scored a knockdown and the two warriors slugged it out for the entire three minutes of the sixth. When the dust had settled, two judges had the fight 57-56 for LoPorto, while the third judge had the fight by the same margin for Bryant. A rematch would be more than welcome.

In an upset unheralded Eric Anaba 3-5-3 decisioned Adam Wills 10-4 (2) over six rounds. The scorecards read 60-53, 59-54 and 58-55, all for Anaba.

Debutants Luke Garlett and Michael Lindon went to war early and left the ring early, with Garlett savagely bashing Lindon into submission early in the first round of a scheduled four rounder.







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