Boxing: Jackson earns respect with brave points loss

Tauranga's Gunnar Jackson took two-time world title holder Anthony 'The Man' Mundine the full 10-round distance in Brisbane on Wednesday night. Photo / File

If ever a boxer could come out of a bout feeling positive after a loss it was Gunnar Jackson after Tuesday night's rumble in Brisbane against two-time world champion Anthony Mundine.

Jackson had just days to prepare for the biggest fight of his career after he was a late call-up to take on Mundine but he more than held his own fitness wise and was still throwing big shots in the 10th and final round.

Mundine was fulsome in his praise for Tauranga's tough NZ Welterweight Champion after the fight.

"He was a tough boy. He came to fight," Mundine said. "But if you can't get a knockout, you can't get much better than a stoppage. I did what I came to do."

Jackson's trainer Chris Walker was ringside with his fighter and was happy with the way Jackson hung in there for the full duration.

"Look we went over here to win and tried to make it a six-round fight so that Gunnar could try and get it done within that time," Walker said. "We did that because Gunnar did not have a six-week lead in. Gunnar's base fitness is okay but his anaerobic fitness wasn't quite there and we knew that, so I knew he would be good for six.

"But he surprised me and had plenty of gas to go the extra four rounds. He had plenty of ticker and plenty of heart, and in the later rounds he kept going like a trouper really. He was in there all the way with a puncher's chance, with tight defence and he threw some good shots.

"He was quite competitive in the early rounds and he will gain plenty of confidence knowing that he wasn't 100 per cent going into that fight but he can hold his own with one of the best."

Also sideline was former Tauranga resident and NZ Senior Lightweight champion from 1991 in Daryll Leabourn.

He was impressed with how well Jackson fought and thought it was a good fight overall.

"Mundine was just too experienced and too quick," Leabourn said. "Gunnar kept fighting right until the last bell. In the last two rounds Gunnar let all of his punches go. The score was 100 to 90 for Mundine but it didn't look like it.

"The crowd was going half for Mundine and half for Gunnar, who should be proud that he went 10 rounds with a world class fighter. Hopefully it will lead to more fights for Gunnar overseas."