Sturm defends title by dropping Pittman in seventh

Posted: Sat Apr 5 6:16 PM

Dusseldorf, Germany (Sports Network) - Germany's Felix Sturm felled Australian Jamie Pittman in the seventh round of his WBA middleweight title defense Saturday, earning his 13th career knockout.

Referee Russell Mora ended the fight with just 36 seconds gone in the round.

Sturm (29-2-1) earned the technical knockout after his previous title defense resulted in a draw against American Randy Griffin, pummeling Pittman throughout the final three rounds and opening a cut about the Aussie's eyebrow that ultimately did him in.

Pittman (16-1) finished the bout with his right eye swollen shut, as well as with a gash that couldn't be stemmed by the trainers in his corner. He staggered Sturm somewhat with a second-round combination, but was jawed hard just before that round's bell and never seemed to recover. In the fifth, he was dropped momentarily by a shot to the stomach, and was then caught by an uppercut on his way down.

Sturm's next title defense will likely pit him against Spaniard Javier Castillejo, by whom he was knocked out once previously before winning in a rematch.