By James Dampney, Fox Sports
Anthony Mundine won his middleweight bout against Rob Medley by a unanimous points decision at the Sydney Entertainment Centre on Monday night.
Mundine, a two-time former World Boxing Association super-middleweight champion, looked in control for much of the fight, but didn't have it all his way against the rank outsider.
The judges scored the bout 117-113, 117-115 and 117-112 in Mundine's favour, and the former St George Illawarra star was quick to reiterate his dominance after the bout.
"I knew I was the superior fighter,'' Mundine said. "I don't know what the judges were doing.
"He never hurt me, I wanted to knock him out, but he showed his fitness and preparation.''
Medley had the odd moment and won some admirers, catching Mundine with a nice right to the temple in the fifth round, but Mundine never lost his composure
A huge right hand to the abdomen rocked Medley one minute into the sixth round as the challenger crumpled into the ropes and appeared to be finished, but the underdog climbed back up off the canvas.
Medley proved he has some skill with the gloves, landing some solid blows in the ninth and tenth rounds and again in the final round, but Mundine responded in kind on every occasion.
'The Man' took his professional record to 38-3, inflicting on Medley just the third loss of his career, though Mundine hasn't knocked an opponent out since stopping Jose Alberto Clavero in 2007
"I haven't had one for a while. I tried to look for one tonight,'' Mundine said of his lack of knockouts in recent years.
"There's nothing wrong with my strength and my power. I think I tried a little bit too hard tonight.''
Medley's only previous losses in a now 27-3 professional career were in unsuccessful challenges to South Africa's Isaac Hlatshwayo for the IBO welterweight world title.
The pair were originally scheduled to clash for the vacant IBO light middleweight world title before Mundine declined to make the weight.
Mundine's next fight will be against another former rugby league player in Garth Wood, who earned a shot by beating Kariz Kariuki in the final of reality television show The Contender.
Source: foxsports.com.au
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