Geale steals Sturm's thunder to add WBA title
SYDNEY, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Australia's Daniel Geale added Felix Sturm's WBA middleweight Super title to his IBF crown with a shock split decision win in the German's backyard.
“It's a dream but we did believe it could happen,” Geale told Fox Sports TV by telephone on Sunday after an impressive performance in Oberhausen.
“We thought we could go over there and do it. He's been a great fighter for many years but he'd never fought me before. We had a game plan and stuck to it pretty well. “There was a couple of times where I caught him with some
power shots and hurt him,” added the Tasmanian-born Geale, who fights out of Sydney.
British official Dave Parris and South African Stanley Christodoulou both scored the fight 116-112 in Geale's favour, while American judge Eugene Grant had Sturm ahead 116112.
Geale began to take control of the fight in the middle rounds, hurting Sturm with some stinging body blows, but the German hit back late, making it hard for the judges. “I'm feeling a little bit tired but pretty good,” said the
31-year-old Geale, who became the first Australian-born boxer to unify two globally recognised titles in the same division. “I'm still extremely hungry and want to win more, beat more champions,” he added after a successful third defence of his IBF title improved his record to 28-1, with 15 knockouts.