Kobayashi And Millan And Seferi

WBF championship fights headlined shows in Osaka, Japan, Epernay, France and Burgdorf, Switzerland on Saturday.

In Osaka, local favorite Kentaro Kobayashi remained undefeated and won the vacant WBF World Super Bantamweight title with a very close ninth round technical decision over fellow Japanese Kenichi Yamaguchi after a tough battle between real warriors.

An accidental clash of heads saw the fight being stopped somewhat prematurely in round nine, after the fighters had gone toe-to-toe more or less from the first round, and all three judges scored the fight closely in favor of 25-year-old Kobayashi.

Fighting in the main event of a show promoted by Golden Ball Promotions. the new world champion improved his record to 9-0-1 (2). Yamagushi (35), losing his second world title-opportunity following a defeat to Mexican WBO champion Orlando Salido in 2011, falls to 19-4-2 (5).

At the Hall des Sports Pierre Gaspard in Epernay, France, Mexico´s Isabel Millan captured the WBF Womens World Flyweight title when she dethroned reigning champion, and hometown girl, Amira Hamzaoui after a magnificent fight that turned out to be wonderful advertisement for female boxing.

In another non-stop battle, the fight was mostly fought at close quarters. Hamzaoui was on top of her game, fighting in front of a near sell-out crowd, but the challenger was even better and never stopped throwing hard shorts to both body and head.

While the defending champion managed to occasionally stun the challenger, Millan hurt Hamzaoui more than she was hurt herself, and after ten pulsating rounds there were no complaints from anyone when the visitor was awarded a unanimous decision and the WBF world title.

Judges Jean-Marcel Nartz, Jacky Vaillant and Robin Reid, himself a former WBF World Champion, scored the bout 97-93, 96-94 and 100-92 for Millan, who now boasts a fine 16-2-1 (8) record. Hamzaoui, making her second title-defense, drops to 12-2 (5). Promoter was Jerome Vilmain.

In Burgdorf, Switzerland, locally-based Albanian Sefer Seferi made quick work of Hungarian co-challenger Laszlo Hubert, winning the vacant WBF Intercontinental Cruiserweight title by second round stoppage in front of an excited and loud crowd at the Markthalle.

The first round was relatively close, perhaps with a small advantage for Hubert, but Seferi stepped on the gas in round two and quickly floored his opponent with a left hand. Hubert beat the count of referee Gerhard Sigl, but was soon send to the canvas again, this time by a left hook to the liver.

Once again the brave former WBF International Heavyweight titlist made it to his feet, but it would not be long before Seferi landed a straight right to the chin for a third knock-down, this one the hardest of them all, prompting Sigl to wave it off at 1:20 of round two.

Also acting as the promoter of the show, along with his brother and fellow Cruiserweight contender Nuri, Sefer “The Real Deal” Seferi improved his undefeated ledger to 21-0 (19). Taking part in his thirteenth championship fight since turning pro in 2007, Hubert travels back to Budapest at 44-19-1 (29).

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April 23, 2016