Rematch on cards as Macklin loses controversially

BOXING:FELIX STURM and Irish middleweight Matthew Macklin appear to be on course for a rematch after Germany-born Sturm was handed a controversial split decision in their WBA world title clash at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne on Saturday night.

Sturm, defending his title for a 10th time, retained his belt after earning a 113-115, 116-112, 116-112 decision in front of almost 19,000 fight fans on his own promotion in his home city. Birmingham-born Macklin dominated the first four frames of Saturday’s duel, but Sturm, who has verbally agreed to a rematch, finished the stronger and insisted that the decision was “absolutely correct”.

However, Macklin, a former Irish, British and European champion who was unbeaten in five years going into the weekend’s 12-rounder, insists that there was no way he lost.

“Not only is there no way I lost that fight by four rounds – there’s no way I didn’t win it. It was a tough, hard fight, I don’t deny that, but I did all the work and threw all the better punches.

“I lost a couple of rounds, of course, and a few others were close. I know that, but if anyone looks at the fight as a whole, well, there was only one winner – me. There was one round, I think it was the 10th, where I guess I knew I lost it, but I upped my game again in the 11th and in the last round, well, I felt I really had it won.

Meanwhile, Dubliner Patrick Hyland claimed the vacant WBF featherweight title at the National Stadium in Dublin on Saturday night. The Tallaght native stretched his unbeaten run to 23 outings after hammering out an impressive 120-108, 119-109, 120-108 points win over French puncher Phillipe Fernois over 12 rounds. “I hope to defend this title very soon and then I will see what Brian (Peters) and my father have planned for me. After tonight I know European and World level is where I belong,” said Hyland.

Dubliners Robbie Long and Brendan Fitzpatrick were both stopped in the first round on Saturday’s undercard. Long lasted 2:43 seconds against Cork’s defending middleweight champ Gary O’Sullivan, and Fitzpatrick was KO’d two minutes into his clash with Belfast’s Ciarán Healy.

Hyland’s brothers, Paulie and Eddie, beat Stoyan Serbezov and Asen Vasilev, while Stephen Ormond and Finbarr Eade beat Valentin Stoychev and Radoslav Mitev. Irish welterweight Michael O’Reilly won gold and scooped the boxer of the tournament award at the Brandenburg Youth Cup in Germany yesterday.

The Portlaoise BC stand out, whose brother Bernard claimed bronze, hammered Russian Arseniy Pavlenk 19-4 in yesterday’s final to finish on top of the podium.