HOUSTON, Texas (AFP) — Indonesia's Chris John retained his World Boxing Association featherweight title and remained undefeated by fighting to a draw with US hometown hero Rocky Juarez.
All three judges scored the fight 114-114 after all three gave Juarez the 11th and 12th rounds, calling it a draw to leave John unbeaten with the crown after his American debut and Juarez still winless in world title bouts.
"I thought I won the fight," John said. "What can I say? I won by points, but, what can I say? He's a tough fighter. He showed his strength in the last rounds."
John went to 42-0 with two draws while Juarez had his first draw after 28 wins and four losses, his only losses and the draw coming in his title bouts.
Juarez staggered John in the last seconds of the 11th round and tagged the champion with a left hook one minute into the last round and the two traded hard blows to the final bell as the crowd screamed in delight.
"I knew in the later rounds I had to pick it up. I went hard in the later rounds," Juarez said. "I thought I won the fight."
John threw almost 400 more punches but the 29-year-old from Jakarta was denied a ninth win in a row.
"It was a great show," Juarez said. "I foguht with all my heart. I thought I won the fight. Give John credit. He's a great fighter."
Both fighters began with a fast, intense pace. Juarez worked to John's body while the Asian answered with a variety of jabs and solid rights, swelling Juarez's left eye in a third round where John picked up the pace.
John opened a cut over Juarez's left eye in the fifth round and used superior footwork to elude the Sydney Olympic silver medalist time and again, coming at Juarez from different angles and asserting control of the fight.
Juarez pressed the attack in the eighth round but John answered in the ninth with great flurries, hammering the challenger with an inside right to the head and a powerful left uppercut in his best combination.
"I might have given up some of the mid rounds. That's my fault," Juarez said. "The cut had a little to do with it. "I just laid back in the middle rounds."
John would not rule out a rematch but served notice, "I'm ready for all."
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