 |
|
|
SYDNEY : Puerto Rico's Manny Siaca beat Australian titleholder Anthony Mundine in a split points decision in their World Boxing Association (WBA) super middleweight title fight over 12 rounds.
Japanese judge Takeshi Shimikawa scored the fight 114-113 in Mundine's favour, Sweden's Mikael Hook and Korea's Wangsup Shim both had the challenger winning 115-113.
Making the second defence of his title, Mundine was floored in the second round.
Siaca put Mundine down with a left to the head as the bell sounded to end the second round.
American referee Raul Caiz, who was a late replacement for Panamanian Guillermo Pineda, applied a standing eight count after Mundine bounced quickly back to his feet.
Siaca is the first Puerto Rican to win a title in the super middleweight category.
"I thought I won but it was a close fight. He's a great champion ... he can be champion again," Siaca said of Mundine. "He's very fast. I never thought he would be that fast."
It was a world title at the fourth attempt for the 28-year-old Puerto Rican, who pushed the pace for much of the fight.
Siaca had previously lost to light heavyweight Bruno Girard and twice against super middleweight Byron Mitchell in world title fights.
Siaca improved his career record to 18 wins and four losses with 16 KOs.
It was Mundine's second defeat in 22 fights and he was making his second title defence.
Mundine employed a similar strategy to that which served him well when he won the vacant WBA title against American Atwun Echols last September, utilising plenty of ring speed and relying primarily on the jab.
He occasionally tagged the challenger with more powerful punches but he was not able to assert himself.
Siaca said after the bout he would be prepared to give Mundine a rematch. "What can you do, I have to go back to the drawing board, I thought I won ... but I will take the loss like a man," Mundine said when interviewed in the ring.
Father and trainer Tony said Mundine would remain in boxing and seek a rematch with Siaca.
"We're going to try to get a rematch," Tony Mundine said. "I can't say too much until I have spoken to the WBA."
Mundine entered the ring with strapping above the right ankle he sprained last week in training.
But he showed few signs he was troubled by the injury, although he did grimace after slipping to the canvas in the 10th round.
|
|
|
|
© Copyrights / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2004
|
Media Report (May 5, 2004) 
