Sturm clings to WBA strap

Felix Sturm held on to his WBA middleweight title despite being held to a draw by Randy Griffin in Germany on Saturday.

Middleweight given fright by Griffin

Felix Sturm hung on to his WBA middleweight title despite being held to a draw by Randy Griffin in Germany on Saturday. Hamburg-based Sturm landed the better shots throughout, but Griffin's superior work-rate counted for plenty in the eyes of the judges. The 28-year-old, who lost the belt to Javier Castillejo last year before gaining revenge in April, immediately offered the American challenger a rematch. "I approached him in the ring and said we'll do a rematch," said Sturm, who slipped to 28-2-1. "I don't need it for my ego. It was a great fight and we should do it again early next year. "I need a rest now but its crucial to make those fights. That's what the fans want to see. He was a strong opponent." The judges called the fight 115-114 (Sturm) 114-117 (Griffin) and 114-114. Sturm proved himself a world class operator back in 2004, when he out-boxed Oscar De La Hoya in defence of his WBO title - although the Las Vegas judges didn't see it that way, giving the Golden Boy a narrow verdict.