Valuev wins by a knee

 

Swiss action shots by DAVID MARTIN WARR

McCline enters the ring, on Swiss winter night, sweating

Valuev rams a lamppost left

Valuev follows with a right

Referee offers McCline a hand up. No way.

McCline weeps

Don King moves in on somber victor

Nikolay Valuev, the Russian Giant, made his third successful defence of the WBA Heavyweight title in Basel, Switzerland, at the weekend. Again he won inside the distance . . this time by a knee.

Jameel McCline at 6 ft 6 in. looked small beside Valuev, 7 ft. The champ weighed 4 stone heavier at 23 stone.

In the battle of the all-time biggest, McCline started badly but boxed well in round two.

In round three, when the pair were engaged in a two-way exchange, Jameel’s knee gave way and he crashed to the deck.

The American fighter screamed in pain and lay helpless. The referee declared tko 3. They carried McCline from the ring on a stretcher with a probable torn ligament.

Co-promoter Don King announced: “Niki hit him so hard he broke his knee!”

This was Valuev’s 46th straight victory, after taking the WBA title from John Ruiz and defending against Owen Beck and Monte Barrett.