In a decision that triggered an ugly riot, Frans Botha of South Africa beat Axel Schulz for the vacant IBF heavyweight championship.
When Botha was announced as a split-decision winner, outraged German fans flung coins, beer and champagne bottles into the ring Saturday night. Officials later revised the scorecards from the three judges, giving the unbeaten South African a unanimous decision.Six people were treated in a hospital for cuts by flying glass in the mayhem around the ring. None were injured seriously, police said.
Police said many people in the crowd were drunk. Some tried to climb onto the ring. Fans sought shelter under tables and others tried to flee in panic.
The bout pitted the top two challengers for the IBF crown that was stripped from George Foreman, whose last fight was a disputed 12-round win against Schulz.
Botha, who now lives in Newport Beach, Calif., entered the fight with a 35-0 record and 21 knockouts, but hadn't faced any big names. And the win over Schulz is unlikely to silence critics of his ability. Botha, who has nicknamed himself "the white buffalo," proved to be an easy target to hit.
But he also threw more punches than his 27-year-old German opponent.
"I can understand the disappointment of the public - but their reaction was just an emotional outburst," said Botha's promoter, Don King. "But when you look at the fight objectively, you can see Botha deserved to win."
Botha became the second South African fighter to hold a heavyweight crown after Gerrie Coetzee in 1983. His next fight may be against Mike Tyson, another King fighter.
"We're just waiting to see who the winner will be," King said before the fight. "Then he can fight against Tyson."
Neither fighter was in danger of hitting the canvas. Botha often stood in the middle of the ring, his hands lowered like his idol Muhammed Ali, daring the light-hitting Schulz to hurt him.
But Schulz, with only 10 knockouts in his 21-3-1 record, lacked the punch to threaten the South African. He tagged Botha with several stiff rights, but barely jarred his opponent.
But many of the 11,000 Germans in attendance thought Schulz had hit Botha enough to win the fight.
"The decision is a scandal," said Wilfried Sutherland, Schulz's promoter, but he admitted, "Schulz was too tight and boxed too little."
Botha was the one that carried the fight, steadily piling up points with both hands against Schulz, who fought out of a peek-a-boo style and attacked in short flurries.
Botha appeared exhausted at the end of the sixth round, when he threw a couple or roundhouse punches at the German. But this proved deceptive - he was visibly stronger than the German in the 12th and final round.
Schulz failed in his bid to become the first German to win a heavyweight title since Max Schmeling beat Jack Sharkey 65 years ago.
Judge Harry Davis of Canada ruled the fight 116-112 for Botha, while Eugene Grant of the United States saw the South African winning 115-113. Another American, Al de Vito, called it 118-111 for Botha. Earlier, de Vito's score had been given as 115-113 for Schulz.