Boxing News Boxing News
Andrea Sarritzu dazzled an adoring local audience tonight at Palasport di Via D’Azeglio in Caligari on the Italian island of Sardinia as he outpointed former European Union beltholder Alain Bonnel to retain the European flyweight crown by unanimous decision.
This was the third time Sarritzu met seasoned French operator Bonnel as the pair clashed in 2002 and 2008 with Sarritzu winning both six round affairs on points.
But this was the only occasion during which a title was at stake and Bonnel proved up to the challenge by going twelve rounds for his second consecutive bout.
The Frenchman was nearly derailed during the twelfth and final frame as he was dramatically canvassed by Sarritzu, who could not finish off Bonnel before the bout came to a halt.
With the unanimous decision win, Sarritzu, 31-4-4 (12), has now retained the European title for the first time during his second Continental reign.
Bonnel drops to 13-17-3 and has not won a meaningful bout since 2002 when he captured the vacant European Union bauble with a close decision over Lahcene Zemmouri.
The undercard featured Italian super middle strapholder Mouhamed Ali Ndiaye, 17-1 (10), winning his fourth straight since narrowly failing to knock off European Union champ Lolenga Mock in 2008 via a fifth round stoppage of Raul Asencio, 5-30-2 (0), while ex-European welterweight challenger Luciano Abis, 28-1-1 (13), outpointed Spanish light middle journeyman Juan Martinez Bas, 7-15 (2), over six rounds.
