Boxing News Boxing News
The Universum house fighters were all victorious last night at the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart, Germany with headliner Felix Sturm retaining his WBA Middleweight crown with a twelve round points decision over the far less experienced Uruguayan import Noe Tulio Gonzalez Alcoba.
Alcoba fought like a man who was well aware of the difficulty that attempting to outpoint a reigning champion in Germany brings as he pressured Sturm for the entire contest.
But the champion was far too skilled to be drawn into a slugfest with Alcoba and thereby taking away the only chance the South American had to win the fight.
Sturm repeatedly rapped Alcoba with jarring counter combinations after making the challenger miss but the man from Sante Fe, Argentina refused to wilt and bravely fought on sometimes shaky legs during the last two rounds.
Sturm moves to 28-2 (12) while retaining the WBA belt for the first time via scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 116-112. Alcoba drops to 14-1 (7).
Super middle Denis Inkin, 31-0 (24), of Russia kept his WBC International strap with a fifth round stoppage of outgunned Hungarian challenger Joszef Nagy, 17-1 (11). It was target practice for Inkin as he pelted Nagy until referee Guido Cavalleri stepped in to keep the big hearted visitor from taking additional punishment.
WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight beltholder Taras Bidenko, 23-2 (12), got a scare against Richel Hersisia, 29-2 (23). “The Dutch Sonny Liston” pressured Bidenko relentlessly, trying to force the taller man into close combat but the Ukrainian managed to keep distance and box, winning over the judges as they gave Bidenko a 115-113 (twice) and 117-111 points victory.
It was ten rounds of tooth and nail aggression between WIBF Light Fly Champion Julia Sahin, 18-0 (2), and America’s Hollie Dunaway, 19-5 (10). A former Minimum and Straweight Champion, Dunaway was the faster fighter and managed to largely get in her shots early on but Sahin closed distance and forced a grueling slugfest between the two.
Sahin’s better conditioning proved to be the difference as she finished the bout the fresher fighter, taking a close split decision victory. Two judges favored Sahin 97-94 and 96-94 while Dunaway carried the third card 96-94.
Belarus’ GBU Super Fly Champ Alesia Graf, retained her title for the fourth time, 17-1 (8), belting out a one sided third round stoppage over late replacement opponent, the German novice Natascha Guthier, 5-2-2 (0).
