Former Roosters front-rower Sio Siua Taukeiaho has defeated ex-NRL hardman Jaiman Lowe by unanimous decision in his professional boxing debut at the International Convention Centre in Sydney.
The heavyweight bout lasted the full four two-minute rounds as Taukeiaho and Lowe traded blows, the judges scoring the fight 39-36, 40-35, 40-35.
Taukeiaho scored a controversial knockdown in the second round when he was judged to have delivered an inside shot that sent Lowe tumbling down and through the ropes.
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But replays showed that Lowe only lost his balance.
Australian boxing great Jeff Fenech said Taukeiaho was incorrectly awarded the knockdown.
“It definitely shouldn’t have been a knockdown,” he said on Main Event.
Commentator Paul Kent also disagreed with the decision.
“This was disappointing,” he said on Main Event.
“I understand how the referee made a mistake here, but this was not a knockdown. Jaiman Lowe simply caught himself off balance.
“You can argue he did take a brush to the head … but clearly he just overbalanced and lost his way.”
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