Jose Napoles of Mexico just scraped through a tough, blood-spattered fight with Armando Muniz of the United States in Acapulco on Saturday night (29 March) to retain his world welterweight title.

The referee stopped the fight in the first minute of the 12th round to seek medical advice on whether the champion could continue with a butchered face and both eyes nearly closed.

The doctor said no, but the judges awarded the fight to Napoles by a technical decision on points, because they said most of his injuries had been caused by the American's head butts.

Although a popular decision with the local crowd, the Americans present booed at the unusual end to the fight.

The two boxers spent most of the fight locked in vicious clinches which left both of them bloodied and stopped S Napoles using his ringcraft and big right fist.