Boxing win sparks all-in shoving match

Again, boxing has found disgrace. In what was supposed to be a revolutionary move for the sport by going free-to-air last night, there were shameful scenes as the supporters of Billy Dib and Japanese challenger Kenichi Yamaguchi stormed the ring to brawl after Dib's first-round knockout win.

OneHD officials had earlier warned that any crowd violence could jeopardise the four-fight deal to run over Thursdays this month - but that was quickly forgotten as Dib and Yamaguchi clashed after the stoppage at Luna Park last night. Dib suffered a shock knockdown early but came back to floor Yamaguchi, whose record varies from different sources but was touted as undefeated.

Dib hit Yamaguchi when he was down, and after referee Les Fear ruled the Japanese could not continue, mayhem ensued as celebration for Dib quickly turned to anger after Dib pushed his opponent away.

The Japanese corner rushed in and Dibs's supporters closely followed, with security struggling to maintain control as several pushing exchanges occurred in the ring.

Eventually calm was restored and Dib claimed the WBO Asia Pacific featherweight title.

"This is the time you go through adversity, you've just got to dig down," he said. "He got me with a really good shot."

Down inside the first 80 seconds, Dib recovered to knock his opponent down in the closing seconds of the round.

The Australian then appeared to hit Yamaguchi with a left hand punch after he had gone down.

"The shot was in the moment, things like that happen," Dib said in his post-fight interview.

Yamaguchi appeared wobbly after he got to his feet and Fear stopped the bout.

Coming out to the ring to the song 'Beat It' by the recently deceased Michael Jackson, Dib slipped to the canvas twice in the brief bout, but was also floored by a legitimate blow.

He rallied to impose pressure on the foreign fighter and put him down.

Earlier, Dominic Vea (11-1, 9KOs) scored a sizzling stoppage victory over Anthony McCracken in the seventh of an eight-round cruiserweight contest, one of the best in Australia this year.

It was staggeringly brutal as Vea and McCracken traded like possessed men until the end came on the back of three knockdowns. Vea, who clearly packed more dynamite in his gloves, tried to pound his way to victory while McCracken adopted a busy-bee approach, throwing his punches in bunches.

McCracken (10-3) was far busier in rounds one and two but, in a bruising third, Vea landed some massive shots that would have sent an elephant to sleep. McCracken, however, was courageously stubborn and the the audience was utterly thrilled as the pair clubbed each other toe-to-toe until the end of the round.

More of the same was to continue and while Vea was landing the heavier punches McCracken continuously countered with body-head combinations.

The start of the seventh round was as ferocious as any brawl witnessed this decade, with McCracken connecting feverishly during a rapid-fire exchange. But Vea found space in his pesky opponent's armour and dropped him to one knee with a precision right. Smelling blood, Vea stung McCracken's body and he was down again. Vea finally finished it with a left to McCracken's midsection that sent him down for the third time.

"I didn't know he was that tough," Vea said.

McCracken responded: "That's why they call me the Bull, because I've got a coconut for a head."

Controversy marred a highly anticipated cruiserweight clash between undefeated Jamie Withers (11-0-1, 3KO) and Daniel Ammann (15-2-2, 3KO), with the fight halted in round one after Withers struck Ammann with his elbow.

The blow caused a nasty cut above Ammann's right eye and the fight was immediately stopped, with officials declaring the result a technical draw to a chorus of jeers from the crowd. Withers apologised but was drowned out by angry fans as replays showed him lifting his elbow twice into Ammann's head.

"For it to end like that is just shocking," said Ammann, who was defeated by Withers via split decision in 2005. "I've waited four years for the rematch with Jamie as well, hopefully we can do it again. I am sure he is as disappointed as I am, I trained two months for this fight."

It was the first time Withers had not walked out of the ring victorious. "I apologise, it is a bad result," Withers said.

Meanwhile, undefeated light-heavyweight Michael Bolling (7-0, 6KO) was taken the distance as Samoan opponent Togasilimai Letoa (10-2, 5KO) absorbed heavy punishment for six rounds - but still emerged with a comprehensive points win.

-with AAP