LUCAS BROWNE became Australia’s first world heavyweight boxing champion early yesterday, surprisingly beating WBA regular champion Ruslan Chagaev by technical knockout.

    The unbeaten Browne was knocked down in the sixth round but fought back to send Chagaev to the canvas with a big right in the 10th.

    While the Uzbek champion got to his feet, he was immediately backed into the ropes by Browne, who hit him with a barrage of unanswered right hooks until the referee stopped the fight.

    Chagaev claimed he was able to continue but accepted the referee’s decision.

    Browne’s record improved to 24-0 (21 KO), while Chagaev dropped to 34-3-1 (21 KO).

    Browne wins the so-called regular version of the WBA belt, while Britain’s Tyson Fury is considered the WBA’s “unified” champion, since he also holds the WBO version.

    After a quiet opening to the fight, Chagaev took control in the third and landed solid hits to Browne’s head in the subsequent rounds.

    The fight appeared all but over when a left hook sent Brown sprawling in the sixth. After beating the count, the Australian was saved by the bell as more shots from Chagaev sent him staggering around the ring.

    “I know I’ve got a good chin. I obviously got rocked by something silly with his left hand, but I came back quite well,” Browne told Australian Associated Press.

    The heavily tattooed Browne, a former mixed martial arts fighter and bouncer, was jubilant in victory but received little cheer from the crowd, which was strongly behind Chagaev.

    (SD-Agencies)