Peter keeps heavyweight title

NEW YORK -- Samuel Peter withstood three early knockdowns to pull away from Jameel McCline and keep the WBC heavyweight championship Saturday night.

Peter, nicknamed the “Nigerian Nightmare,” was living through a bad dream in the second and third rounds. But hedominated the latter rounds for a unanimous decision that was heartily booed by the Madison Square Garden crowd.

McCline, embroiled in controversy as a reported target in a steroids investigation, seemed to be one solid punch away from the championship in the third round. He decked Peter twice, but couldn’t finish him and didn’t have much left the rest of the way.

Peter (29-1) was handed the belt by the WBC after champion Oleg Maskaev dropped out of the fight because of a back injury. Peter said he would show he was deserving of the title, and after the first three rounds the 27-year-old fighter did just that.

McCline, who was supposed to fight on the undercard before being moved up to the big bout, dropped to 38-8-3.