LEMOORE -- Lowell Brownfield is winning plenty of fans at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino. Winning over the judges has been a bit more difficult. Brownfield's bid for an upset victory in a 10-round junior welterweight boxing matchup vs. Don Juan Futrell was derailed Thursday night, when the bout was scored a draw.

Brownfield, a Nebraska native who fights out of Southern California, scored a second-round knockdown and had fans chanting for him in an action-packed bout. The decision drew a loud of chorus of boos from onlookers who thought Brownfield should have won.

Brownfield's camp, of course, had the same opinion.

"Lowell Brownfield had a great performance,'' said his trainer, John Bray. "This was his first 10-round fight, and we worked hard preparing for it. We thought he won hands down, but the judges didn't see it that way.''

The bout was Brownfield's fourth at the Palace; and his blue-collar toughness -- as well as his penchant for getting involved in thrilling bouts -- has gained him affection from fans.

"I love Lowell Brownfield,'' Palace entertainment director Christian Print-up said. "He is what he is. He's no Floyd Mayweather, but he's a tough hard-nosed kid who always comes to fight.''

Brownfield (10-4-1, 3 knockouts) is 2-1-1 at the Palace, with the defeat being a controversial eight-round decision to Tulare's Hector Alatorre in July of 2006.

There was more controversy Thurs-day night. Brownfield felt like the winner, but Futrell disagreed -- stressing that he would have come out on top in the scoring if he hadn't been penalized a point for a low blow in the final round.

"That was not a low blow -- I hit him right here,'' he said, gesturing to the stomach.

Futrell (21-3-2, 10 KOs) made his second appearance at the Palace -- the first was a hard-fought 10-round decision victory over Alatorre last December.

The quick boxer-puncher from St. Louis, will frequently and deliberately cover up against the ropes for lengthy periods, but erupt with sharp, snappy combinations.

In the second round, Brown-field floored Futrell with a left to the head. The latter rose in reasonably good shape from the first knockdown of his career.

"It didn't bother me at all,'' he said.

Futrell absorbed a fierce Brownfield attack against the ropes, and then struck back well with a flurry to the head.

For the next five rounds, the lanky Brownfield set the pace, jabbing at long range, scoring effectively to the body, and working away whenever Futrell backed the ropes. Futrell flurried back in spurts.

"Just because you land a few shots, doesn't mean you should win the round,'' Brownfield said.

Futrell picked up the pace over the final three rounds -- a surge that likely gained him the draw. By that time, Brownfield had fans cheering loudly. A crowd consisting heavily of Latinos even gave him a nickname, chanting "Huero! Huero!''

The "Huero" (White Boy) was thankful for the support.

"I love it,'' said Brownfield, who also won over the crowd in his close loss to Alatorre. "It makes me feel like at home.''

He didn't so feel good in the eighth round, when an accidental head butt made him turn away in pain, causing a brief halt to the action.

Another break took place in the 10th, when Futrell landed the punch that was ruled low, costing him a fateful point.

There was a bit of a role reversal in that final stanza -- Futrell controlling most of the action, and Brownfield coming alive for an effective flurry in the final seconds.

It went to the scorecards, with Brownfield winning 95-93 on one, Futrell taking a 96-93 nod on another, and a 94-94 deadlock being the tally on the third.

Without the penalty point, Futrell would have won on two of the three cards. Futrell had a six-bout winning streak snapped, but is still undefeated (6-0-2) over his last eight bouts.

The Sentinel scored it 97-91 for Brownfield.

(June 27, 2008)