(APR 26)
With World Boxing Federation (WBF) championship
fights headlining big shows in Osaka, Japan,
Epernay, France and Burgdorf, Switzerland on
Saturday April 23, it was another action-packed and
successful weekend of world class boxing for the WBF.
In Osaka,
local favorite Kentaro Kobayashi remained undefeated
and won the vacant WBF World Super Bantamweight
title with a very close ninth round technical
decision over fellow Japanese Kenichi Yamaguchi
after a tough battle between real warriors.
An
accidental clash of heads saw the fight being
stopped somewhat prematurely in round nine, after
the fighters had gone toe-to-toe more or less from
the first round, and all three judges scored the
fight closely in favor of 25-year-old Kobayashi.
Fighting in
the main event of a show promoted by Golden Ball
Promotions. the new world champion improved his
record to 9-0-1 (2). Yamagushi (35), losing his
second world title-opportunity following a defeat to
Mexican WBO champion Orlando Salido in 2011, falls
to 19-4-2 (5).
At the Hall
des Sports Pierre Gaspard in Epernay, France,
Mexico´s Isabel Millan captured the WBF Womens World
Flyweight title when she dethroned reigning
champion, and hometown girl, Amira Hamzaoui after a
magnificent fight that turned out to be wonderful
advertisement for female boxing.
In another
non-stop battle, the fight was mostly fought at
close quarters. Hamzaoui was on top of her game,
fighting in front of a near sell-out crowd, but the
challenger was even better and never stopped
throwing hard shorts to both body and head.
While the
defending champion managed to occasionally stun the
challenger, Millan hurt Hamzaoui more than she was
hurt herself, and after ten pulsating rounds there
were no complaints from anyone when the visitor was
awarded a unanimous decision and the WBF world
title.
Judges
Jean-Marcel Nartz, Jacky Vaillant and Robin Reid,
himself a former WBF World Champion, scored the bout
97-93, 96-94 and 100-92 for Millan, who now boasts a
fine 16-2-1 (8) record. Hamzaoui, making her second
title-defense, drops to 12-2 (5). Promoter was
Jerome Vilmain.
In Burgdorf,
Switzerland, locally-based Albanian Sefer Seferi
made quick work of Hungarian co-challenger Laszlo
Hubert, winning the vacant WBF Intercontinental
Cruiserweight title by second round stoppage in
front of an excited and loud crowd at the Markthalle.
The first
round was relatively close, perhaps with a small
advantage for Hubert, but Seferi stepped on the gas
in round two and quickly floored his opponent with a
left hand. Hubert beat the count of referee Gerhard
Sigl, but was soon send to the canvas again, this
time by a left hook to the liver.
Once again
the brave former WBF International Heavyweight
titlist made it to his feet, but it would not be
long before Seferi landed a straight right to the
chin for a third knock-down, this one the hardest of
them all, prompting Sigl to wave it off at 1:20 of
round two.
Also acting
as the promoter of the show, along with his brother
and fellow Cruiserweight contender Nuri, Sefer “The
Real Deal” Seferi improved his impressive undefeated
ledger to 21-0 (19). Taking part in his thirteenth
championship fight since turning pro in 2007, Hubert
travels back to Budapest at 44-19-1 (29).