After almost refusing to get into the ring with Garth Wood due a dispute over the former Contender winner's gloves, Daniel Geale showed it was the power behind them that really counted.
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The Geale camp were concerned before the fight that Wood's gloves could have been tampered with after he wanted to wear "worn" gloves but it wouldn't have mattered what he wore as he was no match for the three times world champion.
Ignoring the backstage drama, Geale scored his first knockout since beating Roman Karmazin in an IBF title eliminator in 2011 after Wood's corner called an end to the fight before the start of the seventh round.
To most nuetral observers it was remarkable the bout last that long after Geale scored knockdowns in the first, fourth and sixth rounds.
Perhaps if Wood hadn't been given a spell after Geale was docked a point in the second round for a low blow it would have ended earlier.
"I knew things were going to happen and my punching power is improving all the time," Geale said.
"Things didn't go according to plan but I was happy with my performance."
Geale, who lost his IBF middleweight belt to Darren Barker late last year, will now target a bout with Russian Gennady Golovkin.
"Hopefully he will be my next fight," Geale said. "The reason we fought Garth was because he is a strong and powerful guy, and I knew with my movement it would be difficult for him to hit me. I can't wait for the chance to fight Golovkin and bring a world title fight to Australia."
