Aside from the boxing bills we’ve already run down this weekend, there were a few good Continental shows and we kick off this report at Salle des Fetes in Carouge, Switzerland where South Africa’s Vincent Vuma ruled the spotlight.
The 33 year old light middleweight bounced back from losing his WBC International belt to Ryan Rhodes in November with a closely contested points win against Hamlet Petrosyan over twelve rounds.
Swiss based Armenian Petrosyan, 27-6 (10), hit the deck in the sixth and that proved to be the difference as Vuma took a 115-112 and 114-113, 114-113 decision to sweep the cards and take home Petrosyan’s IBF Intercontinental Light Middleweight title.
On the undercard, Belgian light heavy Djamel Selini, 19-8-1 (14), shocked Sofiane Sebihi, 14-2 (10), by knocking out the local prospect in the first round and Swiss based Rwandan lightweight Patrick Kinigamazi, 11-0 (2), stayed perfect with a six round points verdict against Morrocco’s Samir Boukrara, 11-10-1 (1).
Heading over to Pyynikin Palloiluhaii in Tampere, Finland, promising Russian southpaw Denis Shafikov, 18-0 (10), stopped Thai import Decho Bankluaygym, 30-12-2 (19), at light welter while two-time European light welter title challenger Juho Tolppola, 22-5-1 (9), of Vaanta won every frame of a six rounder against durable Polish southpaw Maurycy Gojko, 13-12-1 (5).
Next up, we head down to the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa where local hero Alexis Callero, 14-2 (2), retained his Spanish Super Middleweight belt with a hard fought points win against Madrid’s Alfonso Sanchez, 15-2-1 (7), after ten rounds in Arrecife.
Friday’s action saw Haitian born Frenchman Jimmy Colas, 25-4 (11), stay sharp for his upcoming European Union Light Middle title defense against Lukas Konecny next month by outpointing granite-jawed Bonneville man Hakim Rouassi, 6-7-1 (0), over six frames at Gymnase J. Roure in Les Pennes-Mirabeau on the French Riviera.