Two new WBF World Champions were crowned on Friday night June
15, as Holly Holm dethroned Women’s World Welterweight Champion
Anne Sophie Mathis in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Nadjib
Mohammedi took the World Light Heavyweight crown from Doudou
Ngumbu in Pennes Mirabeau, France.
In a highly anticipated rematch, Holly Holm evened the score
with Anne Sophie Mathis at the Route 66 Casino in Albuquerque
when she won a unanimous decision to capture the WBF World
title. In their original meeting last December Mathis won by
brutal knockout, and “The Preachers Daughter” showed amazing
mental strength to get right back in with the French
power-puncher and pull off the victory.
Unlike their first fight, Holm seemed to be sticking to the
game plan and boxed instead of brawling with the stronger Mathis,
who in the first three rounds struggled to cut off the ring
while Holm piled up points from the distance. However, in the
middle rounds Mathis had more success imposing her will and made
it a close fight.
In the final third of the bout it looked as if Mathis might
repeat the dramatic ending of the first encounter as she slowly
but surely began to close the gap. But this time Holm stood her
ground and managed to counter effectively and avoid getting
caught by the champion’s hard punches.
Judges Lisa Giampa, David Moretti and Duane Ford scored the bout
96-94, 97-93 and 99-91, the last score being unrealistically
wide, in favor of Holm who, besides the WBF World championship,
can now also lay claim to the female Pound-For-Pound title.
The new champion improved her record to 31-2-3 (9), while Mathis
lost for the first time in almost seventeen years, falling to
26-2 (22). The fight was promoted by Fresquez Productions, with
WBF President Howard Goldberg supervising from ringside.
Thousands of miles away, in Pennes Mirabeau, France, reigning
WBF Intercontinental Light Heavyweight Champion Nadjib Mohamedi
impressively stopped reigning WBF World Champion Doudou Ngumbu
at 2:19 of the fifth round. Up until that point, the two had
traded on even terms.
The bout was fast-paced and difficult to score, but Ngumbu
seemed slightly more accurate. The finish came as a complete
surprise, as Mohammedi connected with a perfect left hook that,
it would later be revealed, broke the nose of Ngumbu and had the
champion bleeding heavily.
After this left hook, Ngumbu completely fell apart and drunkenly
stumbled back while Mohammedi sensed his moment and rushed in to
finish his foe with a thunderous right hand. Ngumbu fell on all
fours, clearly dazed and with blood from his nose running down
his face, as referee Noel Monnet counted him out.
With that, the crowd at the Salle Jean Roure went wild as
Mohammedi fulfilled his dream of becoming a world champion. He
improved his professional record to 28-3 (15), and Ngumbu
dropped to 29-4 (11). Promoter was Robert Safrani of Boxing
Center.
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