03 MARCH 2015

Geale Crowned Middleweight champ In Germany/McIntosh Defeated

Australian Daniel Geale pulled off a memorable victory in Neubrandenburg, Germany earlier tonight when he out-pointed German Sebastian Sylvester via split decision to claim the IBF middleweight crown.

Judges Steve Epstein and Marcus McDonnell scored the bout for Geale by scores of 118-110 and 118-112, while Berit Andreasen scored the bout completely the opposite for Sylvester by a score of 118-110

"I feel on top of the world," Geale said after the fight. "I knew I had to work hard."

Geale was the more active and stronger boxer of the two forcing Sylvester to defend more and box from the outside. Geale improve to 25-1, Sylvester falls to 34-4-1.

On the undercard Danny McIntosh from Norwich, England lost his European light-heavyweight crown in his first defence after being battered to defeat in the eighth round by Germany’s Eduard Gutknecht.

McIntosh started the bout well and looked to be on his way to a successful first title defence but Gutknecht forced his way back into the bout from the sixth round onwards.

McIntosh was rocked in the sixth round when Gutknecht connected with a huge left hook. To his credit McIntosh stayed firm as Gutknecht followed up with a combination of punches that very nearly forced the referee to step in and stop the fight. McIntosh fought back bravely as Gutknecht took a bit of a rest but it soon became clear the sixth took quite a bit of the fight out of the champion.

McIntosh was deducted a point by the referee Giuseppe Quartarone for a low blow in round seven, which pretty much all but ended any chance he had of retaining his title. McIntosh, his right eye closed, gamely made one last big effort to turn the fight around but Gutknecht upped the pace against the exhausted champion, forcing the referee to step in and stop the bout.