Undefeated Cuban boxer Rances Barthelemy won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super featherweight crown on Thursday, dethroning Dominican Argenis Mendez by a unanimous decision in a world title rematch.
All three judges gave Bathelemy the victory by the same score, 115-111 as the Cuban improved to 20-0 while Mendez fell to 21-3 with one draw.
Barthelemy lost a point in both the ninth and 10th rounds for a low blow, but that only shrank his final victory margin as he went 12 rounds for only the second time in his career.
Barthelemy faced Mendez last January and thought he had taken the title with a knockout at the end of the second round, only to have the outcome changed to a no contest by officials after a video replay review showed the Cuban landed the fight-ending punch on Mendez after the bell to end the round.
Mendez won the IBF title with a fourth-round stoppage of Mexico's Juan Carlos Salgado in March last year and kept the crown after a majority draw with Afghan-born Canadian Arash Usmanee in August, setting up the first Barthelemy fight.
The card was promoted by former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson.
