Sunday 12 March 2017 11:46, UK
Demetrius Andrade became the new WBA Regular super-welterweight champion after dethroning his former amateur foe Jack Culcay in Germany on Saturday night.
Andrade travelled to Culcay's hometown of Ludwigshafen for the battle of the former amateur world champions and the American cruised through the first two rounds but Culcay sprung to life in the third, nullifying Andrade's physical superiority by closing down the distance and fighting on the inside.
The Ecuador-born fighter continued with that tactic as the fight wore on, catching Andrade with solid straight right hands in the sixth and seventh.
As the momentum appeared to be swinging towards the champion, Andrade stepped up his work-rate, using his reach advantage to land a number of clean shots in the ninth and the tenth.
Both fighters fought gamely till the final bell with Andrade winning by marginal decision after the ringside judges scored the bout 116-112, 116-112, 114-115.
Gamal Yafai edged closer to securing a place on younger brother Kal's WBA world title homecoming in May after beating Georgian fighter Khvicha Gigolashvili on the undercard.
Birmingham super-bantamweight Yafai (11-0) was dominant on his first outing in nine months, using his jab to great effect to claim a unanimous points decision from the judges at the end of the six-round contest
Also on the undercard was Bavarian sensation Nikki Adler, who extended her perfect record to 16 wins as she unified the women's world super-middleweight world titles.
Adler was awarded a unanimous decision against Mery Rancier to add the vacant WIBF title and the regional GBU title to her WBF, WBU and WIBA and WBC belts.
Adler could take on Britain's Kelly Morgan in her next fight, with the Swindon fighter the current mandatory challenger for the 29-year-old's WBC world title.
