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Natasha Jonas notched the best win of her career in a pitched battle with Mikaela Mayer, but it was by no means easy and it came with controversy.
Jonas won a disputed split decision over Mayer to retain the IBF women’s welterweight title for the first time in an all-out slugfest that headlined a Boxxer card on Saturday at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England, Jonas’ hometown.
After they finished hammering each other for the entire fight, British judge Michael Alexander had it 96-95 and American judge Frank Lombardi had it 96-94, both for Jonas, and German judge Diana Drews Milani had it 97-93 for Mayer, whose two career losses have both been by split decision in world title fights in England.
Fight Freaks Unite also had it 96-94 for Jonas, who appeared to put many of the early rounds in the bank before Mayer came on.
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