Kotelnik scores TKO of Rees to win WBA light welterweight belt

Posted: Sat Mar 22 8:32 PM

Cardiff, Wales (Sports Network) - Andreas Kotelnik won the WBA light welterweight title with a 12th-round technical knockout of previously unbeaten Gavin Rees on Saturday.

Referee Luis Pabon stepped in and stopped the fight at 2:34 of the final round to give the 30-year-old Ukrainian the win. Kotelnik (29-2-1, 13 KOs), a former Olympic silver medalist, has not lost a fight since Junior Witter scored a unanimous decision over him in July 2005.

Since then Kotelnik has won five fights, a streak interrupted by a 12-round draw with Souleymane M'baye last March.

Rees (27-1), a 27-year-old from Wales, saw his perfect slate come to an end.