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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -Jeff Fenech earned bragging rights with a majority decision over Azumah Nelson in a junior middleweight bout Tuesday, 16 years after they last fought for a world title.
Though the fight was billed as a serious rematch, the 44-year-old Fenech and 49-year-old Nelson were far from the form they exhibited in fighting for super featherweight titles in 1991 and 1992.
Judges scored Tuesday's 10-round bout 96-94, 96-94 and 95-95 for Fenech.
The Australian was bidding for a third world title in the first fight in 1991 in Las Vegas, which ended in a controversial draw. Azumah, from Ghana, knocked Fenech out in the eighth round of the 1992 rematch in Melbourne.
Tuesday's fight was billed as "the final round" of their rivalry and was claimed to be more than an exhibition, though Fenech last fought professionally in 1996 and Nelson in 1998.
Both had been triple world champions when they met in Melbourne, but finished their careers matched against lesser opponents.
Tuesday's bout revealed little of their old class and there were boos and catcalls from some spectators who had paid up to $2,380 for a ringside seat.
The match was denounced by critics including the Australian Medical Association and by the Ghanaian Boxing Association.
