By Per Ake Persson
WBO light heavyweight champ Zsolt Erdei retained the title earlier tonight in Oberhausen, with a unanimous decision over German challenger Thomas Ulrich. It was scored 120-108, 118-110 and 116-112 . There were no knockdowns in a clean fight fought at long distance with the sharper Erdei scoring with a precise, hard jab that Ulrich couldn´t avoid.
Thomas finished with a bad swelling around the left eye and was also cut in the same region. The challenger punched a lot more than the champion, but could never break through the clever Erdei´s defense.
Referee was American Eddie Cotton, who had very little to do. Both men are with Universum, who also promoted the show. For Thomas Ulrich, 29-3, this may be it. All three losses, to Glencoffe Johnson, Tomasz Adamek and now Erdei have been in important crossroads fights.
