Would the crowd like a rematch?

Hawke's Bay's professional heavyweight boxer Kiki Toa Leutele was quick to ask the question of a capacity crowd at Brisbane's Mansfield Tavern after he lost to Australia's undefeated world ranked Demsey McKean by a unanimous points decision in the early hours of this morning (NZT).

"I thought I hurt him more. He didn't hurt me and I thought I won the fight," Leutele told the crowd.

One judge scored the bout 97-93 while the other two scored it 98-92. For McKean it was his 19th victory from as many fights.

"It was a hell of a fight. It was a bit messy with a bit of grappling," McKean told the crowd.

" While I was keen to get back in the winner's circle I was nervous when I came into this fight. Those couple of cuts I took made me struggle too," McKean said.

A Napier Boxing Club product who was raised in Maraenui, Leutele, can be proud of the manner in which he went the distance in his first fight in 21 months. The 27-year-old father-of-one now boasts a record of seven wins (six by knockout), two draws and a loss.

Leutele weighed in at 117kg, almost 7kgs more than southpaw McKean, the 12th ranked heavyweight with the WBO and IBF who uses the moniker "Tower of Terror."

Leutele's trainer and father, Rocky Leutele, said before the pair travelled to Brisbane his son had to take the fight to the Aussie and he certainly did during the 10-round contest.

At one stage during the fifth round the commentator said Leutele was applying some damage "nobody saw coming."

However, McKean, as the judges scores indicated had the edge when it counted, and the fact his last fight was 13 months ago worked in his favour against Leutele who is New Zealand's fourth ranked heavyweight behind Joseph Parker, Junior Fa and Hemi "The Heat" Ahio.