League bad boy now Aussie boxing champ

Former rugby league bad boy John Hopoate is the new Australian heavyweight boxing champion.

The Sydney fighter finished defending champion Bob Mirovic deep into the ninth round of an epic bout at the Gold Coast convention centre last night.

Hopoate cornered Mirovic and hit him with more than six clean punches to knock the 42-year-old to the floor.

Mirovic got to his feet but his trainer Jeff Fenech threw in the towel to end the fight.

The win showed Hopoate was more than a three-round knockout king and illustrated stamina many thought he did not have.

Experts had said for Hopoate to win he had to knock Mirovic out within four rounds and that's the plan the former Kangaroo took into the bout.

Just moments after the opening bell Hopoate charged straight at Mirovic and delivered five right hooks in a row.

The 42-year-old veteran spent most of the first round trying to slow the battle and lock arms with Hopoate.

The second round was a more even affair, Hopoate appeared tired after his opening onslaught and Mirovic got the opportunity to land a few punches before Hopoate finished with a late flurry.

Hopoate was deducted one point in the third round for an attempted head butt.

From the fourth to the seventh round Hopoate looked gone, his punches lacking power while Mirovic picked his moments.

He opened Hopoate's nose in the sixth round as the heavy hitter began to tire.

Most thought the longer the bout went the better Mirovic's chances would be but Hopoate found his second wind in the eighth round and landed a host of clean blows to Mirovic's face. It left the veteran wobbly and he eventually hit the floor late in the eighth but managed to get to his feet.

But in the ninth round Hopoate took control and ended the fight.

-AAP