Grant stops Botha for WBF title

JOHANNESBURG – American Michael Grant knocked out South Africa’s Francois Botha in the last round of their heavyweight fight to claim the vacant WBF title on Saturday.

Grant dropped Botha with a right hand with 37 seconds left in the 12th round at Montecasino.The 43-year-old Botha dominated from the first bell, nearly finishing the 39-year-old Grant in rounds 7 and 11.Botha charged in on the taller, leaner Grant and was probably ahead on the cards. But Grant rallied right at the end for a dramatic win to improve to 48-4 with 36 knockouts. Botha dropped to 48-6-3 with one no-contest.Despite Botha controlling the pace, Grant lifted himself in the last minute in a desperate finish and his powerful shot put the South African on his back.’I knew I had the strength to knock him out in the 12th round,’ Grant said.He’d lost to Tomasz Adamek by a unanimous decision in March for the WBO and IBF international heavyweight titles.Botha also lost his first shot at the vacant minor WBF belt to Evander Holyfield in 2010. Holyfield eventually relinquished it. – Nampa-AP