Junior Fa has told reporters he felt ‘fulfilled’ after Friday night’s fight in which he was knocked down by an opponent described by some boxing commentators as past his prime.
Fa said he had wanted to be tested.
While Fa eventually won the game, not many people saw the match.
US reports said only about half the seats were occupied for the Fa-Guinn fight.
It was held late in the evening after the main bout in which Richard Commey knocked out Raymundo Beltran.
The fight was held in the ballroom of the Pechanga Resort Casino in California.
Fa, who currently holds the interim WBO Oriental Heavyweight title, was up against Dominck Guinn, who has had 50 fights in a two decades-long career.
Guinn, 44, knocked the 29 year-old Fa down in the fourth round.
Video of the knock-down showed Fa going very briefly under part of the ropes, but he was quickly on his feet and came back swinging.
Fa, who has been training with WBC heavyweight belt-holder Deontay Wilder, pummelled Guinn for the rest of the match, but without managing to land a knock-down punch of his own.
Fa won 97-92, 98-91 and 98-91. This makes 18 victories for the Tongan-descended boxer.
Despite Fa’s win, the fact that he was knocked down by the older boxer has been widely noted by boxing commentator.
However, the New Zealand-based pugilist put a positive spin on the fight in post-match comments.
He told ringside reporters he enjoyed the fight and was proud of the way he “came back strong.”
“I feel very fulfilled because I’ve faced some adversity now,” Fa said.
“For this fight, I really wanted to be tested and I got that tonight.”
The main points
- Junior Fa has won his latest match in the United States, despite being knocked to the canvas by his opponent.
- Fa, who currently holds the interim WBO Oriental Heavyweight title, was up against Dominck Guinn, who has had 50 fights in a two decades-long career.
- Guinn, 44, has been described as past his prime, but knocked the 29 year-old Fa down in the fourth round.
For more information
WBO #7 Junior Fa dropped, but beats Dominick Guinn
