Boxing News Boxing News
IBF middleweight champion Sebastian Sylvester retained his title with a convincing victory over challenger Mahir Oral at Stadhalle in Rostock.
Sylvester’s busy close quarters style put the Griefswald based “Hurrikan” in good stead against the much taller Hamburg man Oral.
The champion put most of the early rounds in the bank by outworking Oral but by the bout’s midway point, Sylvester was lashing his rival with a two-fisted storm that saw the challenger on the canvas in the eighth and ninth frames.
Oral showed a huge heart in beating the count on each occasion but Sylvester continued to control the action, canvassing the challenger one more time in the eleventh before winning a 119-106, 117-107 and 117-107 verdict after the twelve round contest had run its course.
Sylvester sees his record to 34-3-1 (16), retaining the IBF for the third time while Oral drops to 28-3-2 (11), 16 months after losing an IBF bid to Arthur Abraham.
The undercard was highlighted by a good bout between the top two Women’s welterweights, Cecilia Braekus of Norway and Mikaela Lauren of Sweden.
Reigning WBC, WBO and WBA champ Braekus, 15-0 (3), handed WPBF kingpin Lauren, 6-1 (1), her first loss, halting the Swede at 0:40 of the seventh during their scheduled for ten round clash.
Former American heavyweight contender Dominick Guinn, 33-7-1 (22), saw his five bout, two year win streak evaporate as he was widely outpointed by promising Bulgarian prospect Kubrat Pulev, 9-0 (5), over eight rounds.
Polish middleweight campaigner Mariusz Cendrowski, 21-2-2 (8), proved his points verdict over previously undefeated rising German contender Thomas Troelenberg, 21-2 (10), was no fluke as he finished off the younger man in the third this time.
Domestic light heavy Dustin Dirks, 17-0 (12), stopped English tourist Billy Boyle, 13-6 (8), in the seventh while promising Danish lightweight Kim Poulsen, 14-1 (3), outpointed Russian novice Alexey Shorokhov, 3-4 (3), over six frames.
