Tauranga cruiserweight James Emerson is hopeful a strong showing before being stopped in the final round of his first-round Super 8 Fight Night bout will open doors throughout Australasia.
Emerson, who accepted a place in the eight-man elimination tournament on short notice, looked to be on his way to an
upset against top New Zealand cruiserweight Monty Filimaea, before a brutal right hand changed the fight early in the third round.
"I won the first two rounds and then, in the third, I got caught," a matter-of-fact Emerson said yesterday.
"I felt fine and really fit for this event, it was just unfortunate that I got tagged. Otherwise I would have advanced on to the next round."
Emerson won the first round but Filimaea gradually made his presence felt in the second before landing the huge right hand in the third.
