Tasmanian boxer Shaun Thomas sensationally won his super featherweight title bout in the dying seconds on Friday night, but was stripped of winning the vacant Australian belt before he stepped into the ring.
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Thomas had knocked out Sam Williams just 38 seconds from the end of the final round in Melbourne when the Queenslander looked to be heading towards a points decision win.
A left hook 2:22 into the 10th round had Williams staggering towards the ropes before his trainer mercifully threw in the towel.
“The belt may not be around my waist, but I beat him fair and square,” Thomas later said in the ring during the post-match interview.
But the Cape Barren Island fighter, who attended Queechy High and Launceston College, had earlier failed to make the 59.6kg weight limit.
He weighed-in over at 60.1kgs after trying to cut weight during the final hours of the lead-up.
“I spent hours in the sauna and had a few serious sweat shops, and it’s something I don’t want to do again,” Thomas said.
Williams had missed the weight limit, but officials allowed the Queenslander to shed the final 250 grams shortly after the official weigh-in to remain eligible for the Australian super featherweight belt.
The 160cm Thomas, who gave away nearly 15cms in height, initially stunned his opponent in the first round.
Thomas knocked Williams to the canvas inside 25 seconds with the first serious punch of the fight.
Williams looking dazed, backed into his shell and fought defensively, but he would later use his considerable reach advantage to edge ahead on points.
Thomas also looked to tire in the latter rounds and sustained a nasty cut below his eye in the eighth.
But a huge uppercut set Williams up for the winning hook to give Thomas the win in their rematch that the indigenous boxer had lost in a split decision.
The Tasmanian, now based out of North Melbourne, emotionally fell to his knees in the corner of his trainer immediately after the fight was stopped.
“When the hard work’s there, he (Williams) made me work harder,” Thomas, who started out under Launceston trainer Graeme George, said.
“I take my hat off to Sammy – I knew he was going to come out hard and he did.”