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Blow to Oosthuizen's future

Johannesburg - South Africa's IBO super middleweight champion Tommy Oosthuizen's drawn fight against Brandon Gonzales in Connecticut, United States on Saturday has put his future international title fights in doubt.

Golden Gloves promoter Rodney Berman, under whose banner Oosthuizen has forged almost his entire career, described Oosthuizen's lacklustre performance as "a massive setback."

"This was Tommy's big chance to impress the discerning international boxing fraternity at large and earn lucrative bouts on the USA TV circuit against the very top fighters in the super-middleweight division, and he blew it," Berman said.

Berman also announced Golden Gloves' appeal for a mandatory rematch of Malcolm Klassen's recent super featherweight title defeat at the hands of Australia's Will Tomlinson had been turned down by the IBO organisation.

"It is beyond my comprehension," said Berman said.

"Even Australians who were at the fight in Melbourne have inundated me with calls that they felt Klassen had beaten their local man fair and square.

"I'm more than disappointed by the IBO ruling which I see as a case of rough justice for Klassen."

IBO president Ed Levine, however, said the organisation had no option in supporting the unanimous decision of the three judges, who had all ruled in favour of a Tomlinson victory.

"We secured the services of five independent and highly respected judges in considering the appeal," Levine said.

"All five agreed it was a closely-fought contest, but all five agreed that it was Tomlinson who emerged as the winner.

"That meant that all the eight judges' rulings, when you take into account the three on duty at ringside, made Tomlinson out as the winner.

"You simply can't rule against evidence like that."

Oosthuizen had been hoping the match-up against Gonzalez would act as a stepping stone to securing a title fight against the super middleweight champion of one of boxing's four major organisations.

However, most observers felt Oosthuizen had been somewhat fortunate to maintain his unbeaten record of 21 victories and now two draws after being out-fought for the opening five rounds.

One of the three judges ruled at 98-92 points in favour of Gonzalez, a second judge made it 96-94 in favour of the South African and the third judge ruled a 95-95 draw.

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