 Erdei (left) clawed his way back into the fight against Sahnoune |
Zsolt Erdei was forced to dig deep to defend his WBO light heavyweight title against Mehdi Sahnoune in Halle. The Hungarian champion made slow start, allowing his French challenger to grab the momentum at the Brandberge Arena.
But Erdei rallied in the the tenth and eleventh rounds and finally scored a stoppage win with 12 unanswered punches in the final round.
"It was a great fight but there was a point where I wasn't sure I would reach the final bell," he admitted.
"Now I know that I'm not only a good boxer but also a good fighter.
"I'm proud of my performance because I fought spectacularly, which is something I always wanted."
Erdei's first knockout in a world title fight takes his record to 23-0 (14).
Sahnoune, who would have challenged Erdei earlier this year if not for the champion's illness, dropped to 31-2 (27).
MMIX
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