Boxing News Boxing News
Stuttgart’s Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle saw WBA Cruiserweight Champion Firat Arslan retain his title for the first time last night with a complete shut out of challenger Darnell Wilson.
Arslan, 29-3-1 (18), proved last November’s title winning effort against the evergreen Virgil Hill was no fluke as he took a few rounds to sort out Wilson, 23-7-3 (20), and then comfortably outboxed the American the rest of the way, 117-111 on all three scorecards.
A powerful puncher, Wilson had made something of a name for himself over the last year by vigorously calling out the cruiserweight world champions in the media but failed to deliver once in the ring with skilled southpaw Arslan, who hasn’t lost since January, 2004 over the course of 11 bouts.
Arslan could be in line for a unification bout with either IBF Champion Steve Cunningham or the successor of WBC/WBA/WBO supremo David Haye, who is planning on a move to heavyweight.
On the undercard, 6 foot 7 inch heavyweight Alexander Dimitrenko, 28-0 (18), continued his matriculation by bombing out New Yorker Derric Rossy, 18-2 (10), in five rounds and is likely on the verge of a world title shot.
Top women’s super flyweight Alesia “The Tigress” Graf, 21-1 (9), retained her GBU and WIBF titles with a fifth round TKO of Brazil’s Rosillette Dos Santos, 10-3 (7), and has now won 11 contests in a row.
