Weekend Boxing Round-up

Buckle up ‘cos we’re off on a massive two day trip around the world in this special weekend round-up! We’ll start on Saturday in and kick things off at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Dar-Es-Salam, Tanzania where it was a battle royale to see just who would walk away with middleweight bragging rights of this beautiful East African country.

The bout was scheduled for 12 full rounds but Hassan “Red Bull” Matmula, 14-7 (9), never saw his way to the finish as local hero Francis Cheka, 14-5-1 (9), dropped Matmula in the ninth before knocking out his foe in the tenth session.

Matmula came into the contest as the reigning Pugilistic Syndicate of Tanzania (PST) Middleweight Champion after also having secured that organization’s light middleweight crown in his previous outing.

He brought bags of experience to the table, having won or contended competitively for a dizzying array of regional belts at welter, light middle and middle.

Since turning pro in 2000, Matmula had shared the ring with quality opponents as Bradley Pryce, Kuvanych Toygonbayev and Fatai Onikeke.

But Cheka also brought a varied and eventful resume to the contest, having scrapped three times with Tanzanian legend Rashid “Snakeboy” Matmula and emerging victorious on two occasions. Cheka’s biggest fight was a fifth round stoppage loss to future IBF Super Middle title challenger Robert Stieglitz, who was 25-0 at the time, in 2005 but the 25 year old has also competitively faced two of England’s brightest stars at 168 lb, Paul Smith and Geard Ajetovic.

On the undercard, Mkwanda Matumla, 7-2-1 (5), retained the PST Light Welter belt by finishing off Maliki Kinyogoli, 10-3 (5), in the ninth while African Boxing Union Super Flyweight Champ Francis Miyeyusho, 21-5-2 (10), belted out ex-PABA titlist Anthony Mathias, 20-9-1 (9), in the fifth after dropping him multiple times in earlier rounds.

After a long flight to Coventry, England, we find ourselves at the Leofric Hotel where 37 year old former British and Commonwealth Light Heavy Champ Neil Simpson, 25-17 (10), won his fourth in a row by outpointing journeyman Tony Booth, 50-104-9 (11), over four frames at cruiserweight.

Not a lot of eventful small hall action took place on Saturday so we’re racking up the miles in search of meaningful action and next we head across Europe into the Middle East where at the Aviv Sport Hall in Ra’anana, Israel, cruiserweight prospect Ran Nakash, 12-0 (8), stopped Asmir Vojnovic, 28-9-1 (15), in the seventh to capture the vacant GBU crown.

On the undercard, Hagar Shmoulefeld Finer, 16-5-3 (4), defeated Doris Koehler, 3-3-1 (0), for the second straight time but this time the 23 year old Tel Aviv woman walked away with the WIBF Super Flyweight strap.

The most important action on Saturday happened at the famed Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, where Yokohama’s Yutaka Niilda, 23-1-3 (9), retained his WBA Minimumweight crown for the seventh time by knocking out ex-WBA Fedebol titlist Jose Luis Varela, 15-4 (7), in the sixth.

After a long excusion across the Pacific, we dock in South America where at Coliseo Julio Borelli Viteritto in La Paz, Bolivia, lightweight novice Freddy Mamani, 5-0 (3), secured the vacant WBA Fedebol trophy by outpointing Alexander Tanchiva, 17-9-1 (10), over ten rounds.

This brings us to Friday and since we’re already in South America, let’s head on over to Argentina where at the Parque Prado Espanol in Buenos Aires, WBO Latino Light Welter boss Lucas Martin Matthysse, 21-0 (20), won a battle of sluggers by stopping Jorge Luis Noriega Medrano, 31-21 (28), via fourth round referee stoppage in a non-title fight.

Popping up to Casino Pharaoh in Managua, Nicaragua, domestic light flyweight champ Roman Gonzalez, 18-0 (16), stayed perfect with a ten round unanimous decision over Javier Maravilla Murillo, 7-8-1 (3), while minimumweight Yader Escobar, 12-2 (9), outpointed Miguel Tellez, 18-10 (6).

Next up, it’s Mexico where all kinds of fight cards were held and we start at Gimnasio Rodrigo M. Quevado in Chihuahua, as former WBO Bantamweight Jhonny Gonzalez, 36-6 (30), continued his comeback by stopping Giovanni Urbina, 7-16 (2), in the second. Also, Mexican Super Bantam titlist Miguel Roman, 24-2 (16), posted a ten round decision over Fermin De Los Santos, 10-11-1 (7).

At Estadio Arturo C. Nahl in La Paz, Baja California, Mexican Minimumweight champ Raul Garcia, 22-0-1 (15), won a IBF Light Flyweight eliminator by posting a 12 round victory over Ronald Barrera, 22-4-1 (14). On the undercard, ex-domestic minimumweight titlist Sammy Gutierrez, 20-2-2 (12), won a ten rounder against Ivan Meneses, 10-3 (5).

The Coliseo Olimpico de la UG in Guadalajara saw former WBC/WBO Light Welter challenger Arturo Morua, 25-10-1 (14), returned to the winning track by stopping journeyman Mario Alberto Mondragon, 5-16-1 (3), in the third.

At Forum del Mayo in Navojoa, ex-WBC/WBO Latino and WBO Light Flyweight title challenger Juan Esquer, 23-3-1 (18), stopped Humberto Pool, 14-6-3 (9), in the third but it was also upset city as hard luck, iron chinned journeyman Cristian Favela, 14-14-4 (9), stunned promising southpaw Sergio Rivera, 20-3-2 (14), via tenth round decision at lightweight but novice Doroteo Aguilera, 1-5-1 (1), really upset the applecart with a sixth round TKO over former batam contender Marino Montiel, 30-12-1 (16), at super flyweight.

We cross the Rio Grande on foot to enter America at the Municipal Auditorium in Harlingen, TX where James De La Rosa, 15-0 (11), retained the WBC Youth Welter title by KO’ing James Webb, 22-3 (19), in the fourth and Raul Martinez, 22-0 (13), annexed the IBA Bantamweight bauble with a ten round decision over Benjamin Garcia, 12-10-3 (1).

At Fantasia Nightclub in Albuquerque, NM, light welter Hector Munoz, 18-1 (11), saw off the amazingly busy veteran Roberto Valenzuela, 42-36-2 (36), after ten and NABF Female Super Fly titlist Monica Lovato, 12-1 (4), retained her strap with an eight round points verdict over Crystal Hoy, 3-1-2 (2).

The Paragon Casino in Marksville, LA, hosted a ten round majority draw between former middleweight and super middle world title challenger Antwun Echols, 31-7-4 (27), and Michael “Midnight Stalker” Walker, 18-0-2 (12). Also seeing action was light middle contender Sechew Powell, 23-1 (14), who rubbed out Phil Finley, 12-1-1 (9), in the first.

At the Rialto Theatre in Atlanta, GA, ex-WBA Super Bantam title challenger Jorge Lacierva, 33-7-6 (23), got back on the bandwagon with a seventh round referee stoppage against Leon Bobo, 16-2 (2), and former WBO Feather/Super Feather title challenger Antonio Davis, 25-4 (12), won a ten rounder over Carlos Diaz, 9-12-4 (7).

Next up, it’s sunny Australia where at the Panthers Club in Newcastle, New South Wales, Daniel Amman, 13-1-1 (3), finished off Brett Smith, 12-6-2 (6), to retain the Australian Cruiser belt.

We hit New Zealand next as 43 year old native Colombian Guillermo Mosquera, 40-7-3 (20), drew with David Wiremu, 14-16-3 (6), for the second time over the last two years as they contended for the vacant New Zealand Light Welter crown.

Sonny Boy Jaro, 27-6-5 (17), stopped Makoto Kido, 12-5 (3), in the fourth for the Phillipine Light Flyweight title at Ynares Plaza in Binangonan, Philippines and in Thailand, Panomroonglek Kratingdaenggym, 21-0 (12), retained his WBC Youth Flyweight title for the sixth time by decisioning Irfan Ogah, 6-4 (3), over ten.

We leave Asia and hit the ground running at the Sporthalle in Hamburg, Germany, Susi Kentikian, 20-0 (15), stayed the course with a third round TKO over Sarah Goodson, 26-16-1 (9), to keep the WBA Female and WIBF Flyweight titles and in a battle of unbeaten super feathers, Vitali Tajbert, 15-0 (6), prevailed over Jesus Garcia Escalona, 15-1 (6), in a close decision to take the European Union title.

We close out this weekend report at the Paladio in Milan, Italy, which saw one of Italy’s most seasoned fighters, Giuseppe Lauri, 45-6 (26), retain the European Union Light Welter title when Irish challenger Peter McDonagh, 11-12 (2), was injured in the sixth round.

On the undercard, ex-European Light Welter Champion and two-time world title challenger Gianluca Branco, 40-2-1 (21), outpointed Nico Salzman, 13-6-3 (3), over eight and will challenge current Euro titlist Colin Lynes in Italy this coming May and former Cuban amateur star Odlanier Solis, 7-0 (5), continued his climb by knocking out Adrian Rajkai, 15-7 (4), in the third.