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WETZLAR, Germany (AP) - Germany's Arthur Abraham overcame a broken jaw Saturday to retain his IBF middleweight title against Colombia's Edison Miranda.
Abraham was awarded a one-sided decision after fighting from the fifth round on spitting blood and unable to close his mouth.
Abraham, 22-0 with 17 knockouts, pounded Miranda through the first four rounds, and won with scores of 114-109, 115-109 and 116-109 from the three judges.
Miranda, 26-1 with 23 knockouts, apparently broke the Armenian-born German's jaw with a right late in the fourth round. The ring doctor said he faced an operation.
In the fifth round, Miranda intentionally headbutted him and Abraham went over to the edge of the ring to let blood pour out of his mouth.
After that his corner kept telling the 26-year-old Abraham he had to hold out the whole 12 rounds or his title would be gone.
"You can do it - try to close your mouth - you can do it," Abraham's trainer, Ulli Wegner, kept telling him.
Miranda pressed the fight, but appeared spent from the pounding he had taken.
The German kept dodging blows and once a round unloaded a few hard shots - sometimes knocking the Colombian into the ropes - before covering up again.
Miranda's third low blow of the night in the 11th round proved costly.
Abraham repeatedly turned his back on Miranda after a clinch - apparently his concentration gone - and each time the Colombian ran after him and tried to knock him out from behind.
The low blow gave the German 5 minutes to recover and he easily stayed away from Miranda through the final two rounds.
Abraham was awarded a one-sided decision after fighting from the fifth round on spitting blood and unable to close his mouth.
Abraham, 22-0 with 17 knockouts, pounded Miranda through the first four rounds, and won with scores of 114-109, 115-109 and 116-109 from the three judges.
Miranda, 26-1 with 23 knockouts, apparently broke the Armenian-born German's jaw with a right late in the fourth round. The ring doctor said he faced an operation.
In the fifth round, Miranda intentionally headbutted him and Abraham went over to the edge of the ring to let blood pour out of his mouth.
After that his corner kept telling the 26-year-old Abraham he had to hold out the whole 12 rounds or his title would be gone.
"You can do it - try to close your mouth - you can do it," Abraham's trainer, Ulli Wegner, kept telling him.
Miranda pressed the fight, but appeared spent from the pounding he had taken.
The German kept dodging blows and once a round unloaded a few hard shots - sometimes knocking the Colombian into the ropes - before covering up again.
Miranda's third low blow of the night in the 11th round proved costly.
Abraham repeatedly turned his back on Miranda after a clinch - apparently his concentration gone - and each time the Colombian ran after him and tried to knock him out from behind.
The low blow gave the German 5 minutes to recover and he easily stayed away from Miranda through the final two rounds.
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