Kingsley Ikeke successfully defended his North American Boxing Association super middleweight title Saturday night, overcoming a sluggish start to outpoint Zane Marks in a split decision.
Two judges scored the fight 97-93 for Ikeke, while the other had it a 95-95 draw.
Ikeke, who won the NABA's 168-pound title with a split decision over Mark Woolnough in August in the same ring at the Emerald Queen Casino, won his fourth straight fight to improve to 27-3-0.
``It was a good fight, but I didn't think it would (go all 10 rounds),'' said Ikeke, a Nigerian who lives in Los Angeles. ``I didn't know he was left-handed.''
Marks (17-5) came out the aggressor, immediately getting Ikeke onto the ropes and commanding the first round. Marks maintained his edge in the second before Ikeke seemed to find a groove and take the lead in attacking through the fourth, fifth and sixth.
``I was ready for that,'' Ikeke said of Marks' early aggressiveness.
Marks was back in the ring for the first time in three years after dealing with what he said were personal issues.
``I felt great in the early rounds, but then my legs felt tired in the later rounds,'' Marks said.
Marks, from Scotland, stumbled once in the sixth round, but stayed up and came out swinging again before Ikeke slowed him down again with a right jab and a left uppercut.
In fact, whenever Marks would seem to be tiring in the later rounds, taking punches on the ropes from Ikeke, he would work out of it, find a burst of energy and go back on the attack, such as the moment in the seventh round when he landed a hard right hook to Ikeke's head and got him covering up on the ropes.
``I was keeping busy, and he was just playing,'' Ikeke said. ``I had the fight in control by the seventh round.''
Indeed, after an even eighth round, Ikeke regained the edge in the final two rounds, taking charge early in both the ninth and the 10th.
``I think he has what it takes to get the world title,'' Marks said about Ikeke, ranked 10th by the World Boxing Association. ``A lot of people thought I was hurt, but Ikeke only hurt me once with a punch. It takes a lot to get me out of there.''
In the co-main event, Andre Carthron unanimously outpointing Freddie Miller in a six-round heavyweight fight.
