Moments ago at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, former middleweight champion Peter Quillin hit the deck for the first time in his career, but thanks to two knockdowns that he got early in the fight, he kept his undefeated record intact after fighting to a split draw with middleweight champion Andy Lee.
Both fighters started off cautious as they looked to gauge their distance in the first round. Although there was very little action to start, Quillin landed a big looping right hand in the that floored Lee with 30 seconds left to go in the round. He beat the count, but he looked as though he was still on shaky legs. Instead of jumping on him, however, Quillin took his time and landed a left hook right at the bell that appeared to buckle Lee again.
For the majority of round 2, both fighters were again cautious, but with 30 seconds left to go, Quillin jumped on Lee in the corner, landing a series of big shots that again got the attention of the champion. In the third round, however, Lee was able to land a nice straight left of his own that had Quillin on unstable legs. A right hand from Quillin would send an off-balance Lee to the canvas for the second time in the fight. After that, it became clear that both men were looking to land one big shot to bring an end to the fight.
After an uneventful round 4, Quillin again found success in landing his left hook and right hand, which had Lee looking unsteady at times in round 5. Round 6 was another uneventful round, but in round 7, Lee found his opportunity to strike, landing an overhand left followed by a right hook that sent Quillin to the canvas. Quillin, however, was able to quickly shake it off with only a few seconds left in the round. Both men traded big shots in round 8, but it appeared as though Lee was outlanding him.
Round 9 saw Lee continue to climb back into the fight as he boxed behind his jab, landing some nice shots. Quillin began to pick up the pace in round 10, coming out more aggressive and being more active with his punches. The fight seemed up for grabs heading into the championship rounds, with the deciding factor perhaps being Quillin's two knockdowns to Lee's one. They both landed their share of big shots in round 12, but ultimately, it would go to the scorecards. In the end, the judges scored the bout 113-112 (Lee), 113-112 (Quillin), 113-113.
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