KICKBOXING: Cracked ribs end Bay man's title shot

ANENDRA SINGH
Napier kickboxer Andrew Banham's courageous effort at a world title didn't end in the first round like last time but it didn't make him feel any better yesterday.
The 29-year-old Heinz-Wattie's cook lost in a sixth-round knockout to Australian Daniel America, who left him with a few cracked ribs at the Taupo Main events Centre on Saturday night.
"It was a pretty close fight but it didn't happen for me. It's one of those things," a disappointed Banham said before driving back home from Taupo with wife and kickboxer Leighann Banham.
"He's a pretty good puncher who caught me with some good shots," Banham said, after standing his ground against the Melbourne fighter in the World Kickboxing Federation world cruiserweight (88.2kg limit) fight that allowed knees but no elbows in combat.
Banham was hoping to clinch the title for Leighann's birthday on Saturday, after missing out on the same title three years ago in Napier to Sydneysider Shane Meades, who had knocked him out with a vicious knee to the head.
Reflecting on Saturday's defeat, Banham said: "In the sixth round he was throwing a flurry of left hooks, so I thought he was going to throw another and I rolled away and walked into a body shot.
"I went down. I tried to get up but just couldn't breathe," says Banham, who failed to beat the referee's count in the clash scheduled for seven two-minute rounds.
Banham says he had been battling influenza for almost 10 days and got tired after a few rounds into the fight, something his opponent sensed and opted to go for the body.
America had won all his previous 16 fights under three rounds and Banham was the first fighter to stay with him so long.
"I'd like to fight him again when I'm 100 percent fitter but there are no excuses for my loss."
Napier's Shannon Wilson, from Banham's Jackals Gym in Onekawa, lost his bout and his New Zealand light heavyweight crown (up to 79kg) on a split points decision to Hamilton's Wayne Condon in a five-round clash.
"We all thought he'd done enough to retain his title but the referees thought otherwise. He'll get another shot at the title again," Banham said.
Fellow Jackals gym fighter Pumipi Ngaranoa, 17, also of Napier, lost on a unanimous points decision to Aucklander Logan Galaposki in the super lightweight (60-63kg) division. Banham said Galaposki had too much height and reach advantage.
A sore Banham, who fights under the banner of trainer Ben Ahipene's Dannevirke Bulldogs gym, and wife Leighann still celebrated her birthday in Taupo.