Boxing: Briton's second chance

A lucrative re-match is welcome consolation for Henry Akinwande after he drew with Germany's Axel Schulz in Saturday night's vacant European heavyweight title contest at the Berlin Ice Palace.

Akinwande, who earned pounds 50,000 for his night's work, can look forward to a bigger pay day when he faces the 24-year-old Schulz again in the new year, judging by the determination of the Germans to give their man his home comforts.

Akinwande's manager, Mickey Duff, has offered Schulz's handlers pounds 75,000 to stage the re- match in London, but they turned it down flat and the automatic return bout is now destined to go to purse offers.

The Belgian referee and Italian judge scored a scrappy, disappointing contest, 115-115, while the French judge had the 27-year-old Akinwande 118-115 ahead and a majority draw was declared.

After proving too tall an order for Schulz in the first four rounds, the 6ft 7in Londoner paid the price for letting his work-rate drop in the middle of the fight as the German fought his way back into the 12-round contest.