World Weekend Boxing Roundup: Mexico, Finland, UK Results

ByWellington Amadulu

There weren’t any massive fights on Saturday night but there were a few world title bouts in Mexico, one in Finland and also a couple of important second tier contests in England.

We’ll start off in May-hee-co where three time world featherweight champion Orlando Salido, 42-12-2 (29), moved up to super feather with a bang, halting veteran Thai southpaw Terdsak Kokietgym, 53-5-1 (33), at 0:16 of the 11th frame to capture the Interim WBO belt at Auditorio Municipal Fausto Gutierrez Moreno in Tijuana.

This puts “Siri” in line to rematch WBO champion Mikey Garcia, who dethroned Salido for the WBO feather strap in January, 2013.

Also on the bill in Tijuana, light flyweight Javier Mendoza, 22-2-1 (18), outpointed Ramon Garcia Hirales, 20-5-1 (12), for the vacant IBF strap by margins of 116-109, 115-110, 115-110.

Over at Estadio de Beisbol in Guamuchil, Carlos Cuadras, 30-0-1 (24), held onto his WBC super fly belt via a 4th round technical draw against Jose Salgado, 34-2-2 (27). Cuadras has another defense scheduled in November, when he will meet the challenge of Sonny Boy Jaro in Washington, DC.

On the undercard, Irma Garcia, 11-1-1 (2), held onto her WBA Female bantam crown on points after 10 rounds, staving off Brazil’s Simone Da Silva Duarte, 14-7 (6), who has now lost six world or interim title fights in as many chances.

Hopping over to Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland, WBA lightweight king Ricar Abril, 19-3-1 (8), retained his title for the first time, overcoming local man Edis Tatli, 23-1 (7), via a 117-111, 116-112, 114-114 majority decision.

Crossing the North Sea, we next land in Wembley Arena in London, England where former world title challenger George Groves, 20-2 (15), came back from a devastating KO loss to Carl Froch to win the European super middle title in a tough scrap with iron-chinned Frenchman Christopher Rebrasse, 22-3-3 (6).

Groves posted a 118-110, 118-110, 117-111 victory and also wins the WBC silver strap, as well as the mandatory challenger position to newly minted WBC champ Anthony Dirrell.

Chief support was provided by super flyweight Khalid Yafai, 12-0 (9), who KO’d Herald Molina, 17-9-3 (7), in two rounds for the vacant IBF Intercontinental trophy.

At Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield, super bantam Kid Galahad, 18-0 (9), turned back Adeilson Dos Santos, 14-1 (10), in a battle of undefeated prospects for the vacant IBF Youth title while middleweight Adam Etches, 17-0 (14), stopped Samir Santos Barbosa, 35-10-3 (25), for the vacant IBF International bauble.