Boxing: Eastman looks for revenge mission

Howard Eastman watched Lennox Lewis exact revenge from Hasim Rahman on Saturday night two hours after the Battersea man claimed to have been robbed out of the WBA middleweight title.

And Eastman has immediately switched his focus towards obtaining his own rematch against William Joppy.

The Battersea 30-year-old proved he belonged in the division’s top flight with a proud performance against former long-serving champion Joppy, but that was little solace when the majority decision went against him.

‘‘There’s no point going somewhere else, we deserve to have another opportunity,’’ Eastman said. ‘‘Next time instead of knocking him down in the last round I’ll do it earlier.’’

Eastman had indeed sent Joppy to the canvas from two right hands, the last two punches of the fight.

The three ringside judges thought Joppy’s lightning-fast combinations had been enough to eke out a verdict which was greeted with a chorus of boos.

Eastman added: ‘‘I know I was winning the fight, I thought the knockdown sealed the fight. When the judges put Mr Joppy as a winner I was shocked but this kind of thing can only happen in boxing.

‘‘I’ve seen it happen to other fighters in the past so I’m not so surprised about it, I’ll bounce right back.’’

Eastman had looked a harder puncher than Joppy, who was rebounding from a knockout loss to Felix Trinidad in May, connecting with a series of single right hands in the middle rounds which gave his opponent plenty of food for thought.

And Eastman even found the time for some outrageous showboating in round eight.

He stood still in the centre of the ring and implored the retreating Joppy to come and fight, and performed his own version of the Muhammad Ali shuffle.

But Eastman denied that neither his audacity nor his habit of fighting in spurts should have affected the verdict, which was greeted by loud boos around the Mandalay Bay arena.

He said: ‘‘Boxing’s an entertaining sport which needs flamboyant characters. Judges should appreciate a character who can do things like that.

‘‘It’s up to the other guy to come and hit me when I’m showboating. It’s not for the judges to come and take points away for doing that.’’

Audley Harrison believes the heartbreaking defeat will give Eastman the impetus to go on to even bigger things.

Britain’s Olympic super-heavyweight gold medallist told BBC Sport Online: ‘‘Out of bad comes good Howard stepped up to the level of Joppy and proved he was worthy of staying in that class.

‘‘I had Howard winning by three points and I thought the knockdown in the final round sealed it.

‘‘But this is a good experience for Howard and I am sure he will get a rematch which can make him even bigger.’’