Boxing: Brewster over came broken jaw

One has to wonder if WBO heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster, 31-2 (27), knew just how right he was, when he predicted his defense against Australia's Kali Meehan was going to be a brutal a night's work. Then again Team Brewster had hired Meehan, the former Sydney, Australia garbage collector, as a sparring partner when Brewster was getting ready to face Wladimir Klitschko, April 11, 2004. Turns out Brewster and Meehan hit it off in camp; no wonder Brewster knew how much heat was coming his way, in Las Vegas, at the Mandalay Bay resort and casino. Brewster - perhaps boxing's most over looked heavyweight titleholder - proved as he had done against Klitschko, his ability to absorb punishment, closing down Meehan over the last two rounds, in a fight which saw both fighters take considerable punishment.

Though the crowd of around 9,200 booed almost as often as it cheered, as the New Zealand born Meehan ripped into the pre-fight favourite Brewster, repeatedly landing thudding right hands to an often passive champion. The champion's passivity turns out not to have been a result of a flat performance or simple fatigue. SecondsOut.com has learned that Lamon Brewster suffered a broken jaw in the fight. Enduring that pain would have been meritorious in and of itself; however, Brewster also suffered a ruptured left eardrum in battle as well.