By Mark Vester
At the International Arena in Cardiff, Wales, Andreas Kotelnik (29-2, 13KOs) won the WBA junior welterweight with a twelfth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Gavin Rees (27-1, 13KOs).
After two-rounds of feeling each other out, Rees and Kotelnik began to open up in the third. Rees was targeting the body, while Kotelnik was using his left jab and left hook to land the bigger punches. In the fifth, the nose of Rees began to bleed as Kotelnik continued to potshot with power punches from both hands and continued the assault in round six.
In the seventh, Rees came out swinging with the left hook to make the pro-Rees crowd come alive. Kotelnik would return the favor by Rees with combinations in the final minute of the round. Rees' nose was giving him problems in the eight. He seemed bothered by the flow of bllod as Kotelnik was landing punches from both sides to continue winning the rounds. Rees tried his best to return fire, but there was not enough fire to hold Kotelnik off.
Rees began to mounth some offense in the ninth with uppercuts and quick combinations to force Kotelnik back. Trainer Enzo Calzaghe would advise him to go for the knockout before the start of the tenth. A tired Rees was unable to oblige the request of his trainer, but he stood toe-to-toe with Kotelnik, exchanging power punches to close the round. Kotlenik regained control in the eleventh, stunning Rees at the start of the round and continued to control it with his harder punches.
The crowd cheered Rees on to stage a rally in the twelfth and final round. Instead Kotelnik would land a big overhand right to put Rees out on his feet. He would later go down, get to his feet and a few more punches from Kotelnik forced the stoppage.