LEE Selby recovered from the first knockdown of his career to retain his IBF world featherweight crown against Eric Hunter at the O2 Arena in London.

Selby defended his crown for the second time with a unanimous points victory (115-111, 116-110, 116-110) after being felled by Hunter in the second round.

The St Joseph’s fighter had to draw on all his boxing nous to steady the ship and then go on to claim the win.

Selby was the more attack-minded of the two from the first bell, Hunter was content to assess his opponent and try and catch the Welshman with a counter.

The busier boxer in the opening round, Selby just about had the edge when it came to shots landed, though there wasn’t much to choose between them.

A couple of clean Selby shots started round two and the champion looked to take advantage of a lapse in concentration from Hunter when referee Marcus McDonnell warned him for a low blow.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Selby was on the canvas for the first time in his career, caught by a clean left hook.

Selby, although eager to get going again, was clearly stunned by the blow and he needed the bell to sound to regroup in his corner.

Selby used the third round to settle himself and, looking to hit back, he connected with a right over the top in the fourth that caught Hunter flush in the face.

Having recovered from the knockdown, Barry’s finest looked to show Hunter who was boss, but Hunter was always dangerous as he lunged at his opponent in a bid to find another telling punch.

The man from Philadelphia, however, was warned for a punch below the belt for a second time.

Selby found his range in the fifth, landing several eye-catching shots that Hunter absorbed well.

A right-left combination from Selby opened the sixth, before both boxers ended up on the canvas as one wrestled the other to the floor.

A cracking body shot found the ribs of Hunter, but again the American didn’t flinch, showing Selby that he was going to need something special to win the fight inside the distance with one punch.

Hunter has been his own worst enemy in previous fights with two disqualifications in his three pro defeats, and the referee’s patience was really being tested when the challenger went low yet again.

But that didn’t appear to affect Hunter and he breached the Selby defences towards the end of the seventh.

Another punch below the belt from Hunter in the eighth resulted in the American being deducted a point, and he couldn’t have any complaints after repeated warnings from the official.

Hunter was then given an ultimatum by the referee in the next after going low again.

McDonnell could be heard telling Hunter’s corner that if their man went below the belt once more he would be disqualified.

You sensed Hunter couldn’t rely on the judges’ scorecards and needed a knockout at some point in the last three rounds.

Rounds 10 and 11 came and went without the American making much of an impression so he left it to a last-round assault.

But it never materialised and there was a hint of a smile on Selby’s face as he realised he had held on to his title after an early scare.