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HBO Boxing After Dark Recap

February 14, 2009

BankAtlantic Center-Sunrise, Florida

IBF/WBA/WBO Lightweight (135 pounds) 12-Round Championship Match:

Nate Campbell (32-5-1, 25 KO's, 137.5 pounds) vs. Ali Funeka (30-1-2, 25 KO's, 133.5 pounds)

Campbell won these belts in his last match, a 12-round split decision victory over Juan Diaz on March 8, 2008 at Plaza de Toros in Cancun, Mexico. Diaz had seemed unbeatable entering the match and was ahead after 5 rounds, when a left hand from Campbell cut Diaz badly over the left eye. The referee incorrectly ruled that Campbell cut Diaz with a head butt and deducted the Floridian a point. However, Diaz was not the same after he was cut. Campbell appeared to win round 6 and the remaining 6 rounds of the match to score a surprising upset. More shocking then the upset was the fact that 1 judge managed to give the match to Diaz. Diaz and his corner were working to get the match sent to the scorecards early on a cut stoppage. Starting in round 8, they knew Diaz was beaten and he spent the last several rounds only boxing to survive not win. Diaz appeared as surprised as anyone when finding out he had only lost via split decision after being dominated. Diaz had beaten his last two opponents by breaking their will. In this match, Campbell broke Diaz' will. A full recap of that match can be found here: http://www.number1contender.net/the-latest/2009/2/27/recap-of-nate-campbell-vs-juan-diaz.html However, Campbell will not be making his first defense of these titles in this match.

The Floridian failed to make weight for this match. In his initial try to make 135 pounds, Campbell tipped the scales at 138 pounds. He was given 2 hours to lose the weight and weigh-in, again. On Campbell's second and final attempt to make weight, the champion came in at 137.5 pounds. Upon failing to make weight a second time, Campbell announced he was moving up to 140 pounds.

The IBF and WBO have both stripped Campbell of his titles. Funeka had the option to try and negotiate for a percentage of Campbell's $240,000 purse to go through with the match. Typically in this situation a boxer will get 10% of his opponent's purse, when the opponent fails to make weight. However, Funeka did not elect totake any of Campbell's purse. Funeka had the option to pull out entirely. Instead, he will compete with the opportunity to win all of the belts in this match. The belts are not on the line for Campbell in this match. Regardless of the outcome, Campbell will be leaving the ring empty handed.

This is ironic, because Campbell was scheduled to make his first scheduled title defense against Joan Guzman in September, except that time the challenger failed to make weight. Guzman said he was so physically drained from his attempt to make weight, that he could not compete even at a higher catch-weight as Campbell was willing to do. Therefore, Guzman pulled out of the match and cost Campbell a $300,000 payday. Losing that payday forced Campbell to file bankruptcy a few weeks later.

Campbell entered this match as The Ring's number 1 contender at 135 pounds to their champion in the weight class, Juan Manuel Marquez.

Funeka is receiving this title shot as the mandatory challenger to Campbell's IBF Championship.

The challenger is a resident of East London, South Africa and is boxing for the first time professionally outside of South Africa. Actually, his last 13 matches have all been in East London and all were wins. Funeka's last match outside East London was a round 3 technical knockout victory over the 5 win Sello Hanong in a scheduled 6-rounder on July 11, 2003. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines starring current second term California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was the top movie at the box office in the United States going into that weekend.

The South African's only loss came outside of East London. He dropped a 12-round unanimous decision to Mzonke Fana on July 12, 2002 at the Oliver Tambo Sport Centre in Khayelitsha, South Africa.

Funeka's last match was a round 4 knockout victory over Zahir Raheem on July 5, 2008 at Jan Smuts Stadium in East London, South Africa.

Funeka is currently The Ring's number 6 contender at 135 pounds.

At 30-years-old, Funeka is 6 years younger then the 36-year-old Campbell. Funeka is a giant 135-pounder and will have the height advantage in this match standing 6' 1" tall, while Campbell stands 5' 7" tall. The South African has the reach advantage with a 72" wingspan, compared to the 70" wingspan of Campbell. Despite missing weight Campbell will be the lighter boxer in the ring. Funeka has unofficially rehydrated to 149 pounds approaching match time. Meanwhile, Campbell has only rehydrated to 147 pounds approaching match time. The former champion claimed that he was close enough to 135 pounds that he should have been able to make it. However, his body just shut down on him after 2 days in the sauna and refused to drop the extra weight. These numbers would seem to back up that claim. Both boxers will employ the orthodox stance.

The official judges keeping score of this match from ringside are from the United States, South Africa and Canada. The referee is Tommy Kimmons.

Funeka uses his superior size to win round 1, 10-9. Lederman scores round 1 for Campbell, 10-9. Campbell landed a right hand that had Funeka badly hurt with 55 seconds to go in round 2. The former champion pressed his advantage and dropped Funeka to the mat with another huge right hand with 37 seconds to go in the round. Funeka stands at 9, and is allowed to continue with 22 seconds to go in the round. However, Funeka's legs are still not under him at this point. Funeka finishes round 2 standing after enduring several more right hooks from Campbell. The Floridian wins round 2 big on Lederman and my scorecard, 10-8. At the end of round 2, Campbell was cut over the right eye. It had to be from an unintentional clash of heads, because Funeka did not throw any punches in the last few seconds. Campbell lands the harder punches to win round 3, 10-9. After 3 rounds, Campbell leads on my scorecard, 29-27. Lederman scores round 3 for Campbell, 10-9, and has the former champion ahead in the match after 3 rounds, 30-26.

Funeka is busier then Campbell in round 4. Therefore, Funeka wins round 4, 10-9. Lederman, also scores round 4 for Funeka, 10-9. Funeka out-works Campbell to win round 5, 10-9. Campbell has gotten right hand happy in the last few rounds. He is continually looking to land another big right hook like the 2 that damaged Funeka in round 2. That is causing Campbell to neglect throwing any other punches. Funeka is using the break from having his body worked over to throw jabs and work the body of Campbell. The South African takes round 5 on Lederman's scorecard, 10-9. Campbell was more aggressive at the start of round 6, but did not maintain the pace. That allowed Funeka to win round a close round 6, 10-9, and Funeka is now ahead on my scorecard, 57-56. At the end of round 6, Campbell has some swelling around his left eye. It is not effecting his vision and would have to get much worse to be a problem for the boxer. Lederman scores round 6 for Funeka, 10-9, but the knockdown has Campbell ahead on the Lederman scorecard after 6 rounds, 57-56.

Funeka continues to out-work Campbell and wins round 7 on Lederman and my scorecard, 10-9. With 46 seconds to go in round 8, Funeka slips on the advertising in the center of the mat and both of his gloves touch the canvas. The referee correctly rules it a slip and the action is quickly resumed. Campbell landed a few good power punches that might be enough to win an uneventful round 8, 10-9. Lederman scores round 8 for the busier Funeka, 10-9. Funeka solidly wins round 9, 10-9. After 9 rounds, Funeka is ahead on my scorecard, 86-84. Campbell is beginning to bleed out of his nose. It appears Campbell is already having stamina problems. Losing the ability to breath out of his nose is only going to make him fatigue quicker in every round. Funeka takes round 9 on Lederman's scorecard, 10-9, and after 9 rounds the South African has pulled ahead in the match on the Lederman scorecard, 86-84.

Campbell gets out-worked by Funeka, again in round 10. Therefore, the South African wins round 10 on Lederman and my scorecard, 10-9. With 1:13 to go in round 11, Campbell landed the right hook he had been looking for since round 2 and had Funeka hurt badly. The Floridian followed up and sent Funeka into a delayed fall that saw the South African hit the canvas with 1:07 to go in the round. That is the first knockdown Campbell has ever scored past round 10. The referee allows Funeka to continue with 57 seconds to go in the round, but the South African looks to be in bad shape. Funeka is able to hold on and last out round 11. However, Campbell wins round 11 on everyone's scorecard, 10-8. Campbell does some good body punching to win round 12, 10-9. The match ends in a draw on my scorecard, 113-113. Lederman also scored round 12 for Campbell, 10-9, and ended up with the match being a draw on his scorecard, 113-113.

The official decision courtesy of Michael Buffer is that the judges have scored this match: 113-113, that is overruled by the scores of 115-111, 114-112 both for the winner by way of majority decision, "The Galaxy Warrior" Nate Campbell. The win moves Campbell to 33-5-1 with 25 wins coming by way of knockout.

The final punchstat numbers have Campbell landing 250 of the 636 total punches he threw, for a 39% total connect percentage. Campbell landed 197 of the 398 power punches he threw, for an outstanding 49% power connect percentage. Funeka landed 227 of the 938 total punches he threw, for a 24% total connect percentage. The South African landed 143 of the 481 power punches he threw, for a 30% power connect percentage.

Campbell said in his post match interview that he was fatigued from trying to make weight and ran out of gas in about round 5. The former champion nearly broke down in tears saying how upset he was to lose his titles on the scales. Campbell vowed to make up for it by capturing more titles at 140 pounds.

The Floridian really struggled to pull out a win in this match. Campbell faced a taller, longer opponent in this match, and still managed to win. The judges scoring was perfectly reasonable. Round 6 or 7, could have been scored for Campbell. Scoring that with all of the rounds Lederman and I scored for Campbell gives the Floridian the win via the 115-111 score. Campbell is now The Ring's number 10 contender at 140 pounds to their champion in the weight class, Ricky Hatton. This was Campbell's last match being promoted by King. The boxer is expected to sign with Golden Boy Promotions very soon. The first match they will probably look to make for Campbell is a match against the winner of the April 4, Timothy Bradley vs. Kendall Holt 140-pound title unification match.

Funeka was good in this match, but lost in controversial fashion to a boxer that came in with an unfair weight advantage. The South African's next match should be for the vacant IBF title against another contender in East London. With a win there, Funeka could build up a name defending that title on other HBO Boxing After Dark events.

This was a bad event to watch. The boxing action was not entertaining. The main event was a largely a boring match. Unless a viewer was looking for a show to get righteously indignant about, this was not worth watching. Even then it is probably outside the top 3 boxing events worthy of outrage within the last 6 months. That is a really sad comment about boxing.