In the co-main event of the Friday, September 8, 2017 edition of Showtime Boxing, Super Middleweight Abie Han (26-3-1, 16 KOs) suffered a devastating accidental head-butt against J’Leon Love (23-1-1, 13 KOs) at 1:02 into the eighth round and the fight went to the scorecards.
One judge had Las Vegas’ Love winning 79-73, and the other two 76-76 making the decision a technical majority draw.
Following an exchange of punches, Love leaned in and the two fighter banged heads in violent fashion.
Han, of El Paso, Texas, was left stunned and fell to the floor as blood gushed from his forehead above his left eye and he was immediately checked on by referee Kenny Bayless.
Han, who left the arena sitting up on a stretcher before hearing the decision, won the statistical battle in the ring. Han landed more blows (78-47 overall, 20-12 jabs, 58-35 power) and did so more accurately (24 percent to 17 percent overall, 16 percent to eight percent jabs and 30 percent to 27 percent power).
Showtime boxing analyst Al Bernstein had Han winning by one point at the time of the stoppage.
“I can’t rate my performance as great because I didn’t get a victory, I got a draw,” said Love, who once trained at the famed Kronk Gym in Detroit under Hall of Fame trainer Emanuel Steward.
The 29-year-old Love ended nearly a one-year layoff with his return to the ring. “I’m kind of rusty but I feel like I pressed the action and tried to take it to him,” he said. “Other than that I feel like I landed the cleaner shots.”
All photos by Rosie Cohe/Showtime
