In a controversial decision, Souleymane M’Baye drew with Ukraine’s Andreas Kotelnik in Liverpool last night and so he retains he light-welterweight WBA title.
The 31-year-old Frenchman got a 115-114 verdict from judge Paul Thomas, Mickey Vann favoured Kotelnik 117-112, while Terry O’Connor scored a 114-114 draw.
Kotelnik lost to M’Baye on split decision when they first met in October 2004.
I thought that M’Baye boxed fairly well, especially on the counter-attack but he did not have the fitness that he should have has and faded in the later rounds of the fight.
Kotelnik came into this fight off the back of three straight wins after he lost to the current WBC champion Junior Witter in 2005. He though that he had done enough to win the fight after finishing with a strong last round.
We have yet to see a clear winner out of these two boxers, as the have drew and M’Baye won the first by a spilt decision.
Is a third fight needed to show who is better?
