Jimmy Stewart finally won a kickboxing world championship - but not in the manner he envisioned.

The 42-year-old Butler resident was awarded the International Kickboxing Federation super welterweight title after his scheduled opponent, 32-year-old Eric Marshall of Bradenton, Fla., pulled out of their title fight last Saturday night in Morgantown, W.Va.

Stewart (19-0, 11 knockouts) and Marshall (37-5, 23 KOs) were slated to fight for the vacant IKF crown.

"Marshall never showed up for the weigh-in two nights before (the Saturday bout)," Stewart said. "His trainer said he had a bad back, that he had slipped a disc while sparring."

Marshall became the sixth opponent to pull out of a scheduled title fight against Stewart since October 2002.

The IKF decided he'd be the last.

"Stewart deserves this title as much as any fighter who would fight and win it in the ring," Steve Fossum, IKF president, said on the organization's web site. "The only difference is he has fought for it outside the ring over and over again, and no one has equaled his challenge."

Stewart did fight at The Radisson in Morgantown last Saturday, winning a 12-round unanimous decision over Bernard "Swiftkick" Robinson of Pittsburgh in a non-title fight.

Stewart has defeated Robinson (46-9, 31 KOs) all four times they have fought.

"They (IKF) scrambled for someone to fill the card and Bernard agreed to fight. He came at me with a vengeance this time," Stewart said. "I hurt both of my hands because my punches kept connecting, but he never went down.

"He hurt me in the seventh round. I was out on the ropes, but the bell saved me. Then he knocked the wind out of me in the eighth round.

"Bernard should be a No. 1 contender. I can't believe he's seventh or eighth. That's not right," Stewart added.

Stewart remained undefeated, however, and is preparing to defend his new title.

"I'll defend it against any challenges that come up," he said. "This puts me in the money now. The only people who make money in kickboxing are the guys with the world titles, so everyone's trying to get into that select circle.

"It won't take long for a challenge to come forward. I'm sure of that."

Fossum said the IKF did the right thing in awarding Stewart the title.

"Promotional expenses have been lost and reputations scarred," he said on the web site. "But we will not be a part of the negative results."