Anthony Mundine vs. Sergey Rabchenko: Winner, Scorecard and Analysis

Longtime Australian sports star Anthony Mundine proved he still has some magic left as he scored a split-decision triumph (116-112, 115-113, 113-115) over Sergey Rabchenko on Wednesday to win the WBC Silver light middleweight title.

It was an intriguing fight from both angles. Mundine entered needing a win to get back on track after being completely overmatched by Joshua Clottey back in April. Rabchenko was looking for a high-profile victory while also keeping his unbeaten record intact.

The Australian Associated Press (via ABC Australia) passed along comments from the 39-year-old Aussie. While retirement was an option if he suffered another loss, he was focused on getting the win with his back against the wall.

"My biggest moments have come when I'm under the most pressure, so I'm ready," Mundine said. "This time it's on the line."

The report also noted the possibility of the winner getting a chance to take on Floyd Mayweather.

Mundine certainly came out like a fighter with something to prove. He showed off his trademark effective jabs and along with some combinations he wasn't able to put together against Clottey.

Grantlee Kieza of the Courier-Mail noted during the early rounds that Rabchenko, who entered the bout as the favorite, was struggling to control the fight:

The Belarusian starting picking up the pace in the middle rounds. It allowed him to start making more of an impact, especially with the consistent body shots.

Tom Watt of Toe 2 Toe Boxing noted the change in complexion of the bout:

Ultimately, it was a toss-up fight going into the final rounds. After Mundine had grabbed the early edge, Rabchenko did a nice job of changing his approach. It allowed him to take advantage as his older opponent struggled to maintain his efficiency as the rounds went on.

The last few rounds were highly entertaining in large part because there was no clear leader. Rabchenko started going for some haymakers with hope of scoring his 19th knockout in 26 career fights, but Mundine was able to hold his own.

So it all came down to the scorecards. Aus-Boxing.com passed along the judges' verdicts:

It was a highly entertaining battle that truly could have gone either way. Rabchenko came on late, but it just wasn't enough to outscore the veteran, who built a lead and then was able to get it level in most rounds to hang on.

The victory allowed Mundine to take care of the first part of his bold pre-fight prediction:

Whether he'll get a shot at the current pound-for-pound king is unclear. Both fighters seemingly only have a very limited number of fights left in their respective careers. It's unknown if his path will cross with Mayweather before they decide to hang up their gloves.

Either way, he deserves credit for rebounding from a poor showing against Clottey to outpoint a previously undefeated fighter. At the very least it should allow him to push aside the retirement questions for a little bit longer.