Sunday 26 April 2015 08:59, UK
Badou Jack handed Anthony Dirrell his first professional defeat to win the WBC super-middleweight title and set-up a showdown with George Groves.
Jack claimed a majority decision over the American at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago and will now face mandatory challenger Groves in his first defence in the summer.
The Las Vegas-based Swede landed a big one-two combination in the ninth round and forced the fight inside on a tiring Dirrell.
"I was in great shape and I believed in myself," Jack said. "All that talk don't matter. I knew they couldn't rob me. I thought I clearly won. It was a tough start to my career, but now I'm a world champ."
The 31-year-old Jack, who has now won three straight fights after being stopped in the first round by Derek Edwards in 2014 secured the victory with scores of 116-112 and 115-113, while the third judge had it even at 114-114.
Michigan fighter Dirrell was making the first defence of the title that he won in August with a tough decision over veteran Sakio Bika.
On the undercard, Danny Jacobs, four years removed from a fight with cancer, stopped Caleb Truax in the 12th round to successfully defend his WBA middleweight title.
With a comfortable lead heading into the final round, the 27-year-old Jacobs dropped Truax with a left-right combination and finished him off with a blistering array of punches against the ropes.
Jacobs, from New York, improved to 29-1 with his 26th knockout, while 31-year-old Truax, from Osseo, Minnesota, dropped to 25-2-2.
"My corner let me know he was hurt and I took advantage," Jacobs said. "I was ready for all 12 rounds. I knew he had more experience."
Jacobs was coming off first professional loss in 2011 when he was diagnosed with steosarcoma, a form of cancer afflicting his spine.
He had surgery to remove the tumor and was out of the ring for 18 months.
