READING, PA (March 18, 2017) – In a 12-round heavyweight war that lived up to the hype, Amir Mansour (23-2-1, 16 KOs) was able to take a majority decision (114-114, 117-111, 115-113) over Travis Kauffman (31-2, 23 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce from Santander Arena in Reading, PA.
In round two, Kauffman buckled Mansour with a hard right on the inside. The two fighters started round four with bad intentions as they each landed hard shots on the inside. Kauffman switched back and forth between orthodox and southpaw stances in an attempt to befuddle the southpaw Mansour.
By the closing rounds, both fighters began to grind out a hard-fought battle on the inside. In rounds nine and 10, it was Mansour who had more pep in his step, landing several hard blows to close out round 10.
Round 12 was a classic heavyweight slugfest, as Kauffman and Mansour stood toe-to-toe landing leather on each other for the whole three-minute period, with Mansour doing just enough to get the win.
Here is what the Kauffman and Mansour had to say following their bouts:
TRAVIS KAUFFMAN
“I got robbed. It’s plain and simple. It was a good fight, but I thought I won by three rounds.
“He landed a couple of shots, but I clearly outworked him. I thought I landed more and did enough to get the win.”
AMIR MANSOUR
“They thought I was old and would tire down the stretch, but I am mentally strong.
“I give Travis (Kauffman) credit. He stood in there with me tonight. But as I waited for the scores, I knew I won the fight. These were honorable judges.
“I want (Deontay) Wilder next. I am 44-years-old. I want my shot. They should give me my shot and try to get me out of the way.”
