Boxing In France: M’baye Wins Interim WBA Welter Title

Last night at Palais des Sport Marcel Cerdan in Levallois-Perret, Souleyman M’baye captured the Interim WBA welterweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision against Antonin Decarie.

Hometown hero M’baye, an ex-WBA and European light welter champion, made his debut at welter, dropping Canadian visitor Decarie in the fourth.

But the undefeated Montreal man beat the count and gave the more experienced Frenchman some difficult times before dropping the decision by scores of 116-112 and 116-113 twice after 12 frames were completed.

M’baye runs his record to 39-3-1 (21) and is now in line to meet the winner of the upcoming WBA title clash between champion Vyacheslav Senchenko and challenger Charlie Navarro.

Ex-NABO beltholder Decarie suffers his first loss, falling to 23-1 (7).

Also on the bill, Julien Marie Sainte, 26-2 (19), annexed the vacant French middleweight crown with a 10 round UD over Francois Bastient, 37-8-1 (16), and in a clash between Continental veterans, Roman Dzuman, 24-8-1 (11), stopped Christophe Canclaux, 41-4 (26), in the fourth frame of their eight round clash.