Divas Collide: Maricela Cornejo vs Franchon Crews and more

Female Fight News Aug. 20, 2018 Divas Collide

 

By David A. Avila

Every year Mexican Independence Day weekend represents one of boxing’s two biggest weekends; Cinco de Mayo is the other major fight weekend in the city of Las Vegas.

This year it all begins on Thursday September 13, and Mexican-American super middleweight contender Maricela “La Diva” Cornejo meets Franchon “Heavy Hitter Diva” Crews for the interim WBC super middleweight world title at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. ESPN2 will televise.

“I was happy and commended her for accepting the fight,” said Crews (3-1, 1 KO). “It’s great for women’s boxing.”

The “Battle of the Divas,” as dubbed by WBC representative Nancy Rodriguez, represents yet another sure-fire clash between fighters with firepower.

Can it rival Claressa Shield’s clash with Costa Rica’s Hanna Gabriels?

The bar was set high by the two middleweights. Incidentally, it was Shields who held the WBC super middleweight title before vacating it to win the IBF and WBA middleweight world titles. When those two fought this past June it knocked the arrow off the Richter scale.

This coming match between Crews and Cornejo could possibly match or exceed that middleweight collision in a televised matchup.

It’s the kind of match that makes fans of female prizefighting perk up.

“I love Vegas and enjoyed my last time fighting there. TV is a plus, but the mission is the same: to defeat my opponent and become a world Champion for my mother’s honor and self-fulfillment,” said Crews. “I’ve affirmed this and have seen this in my head already I’m just living my story that’s already written.”

Cecilia Braekhus

Welterweight world champion Cecilia Braekhus will not be participating on the Sept. 15, fight card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

It was anticipated that Braekhus would be defending her multiple world titles on the Gennady Golvokin vs. Saul Canelo fight card, but the budget remaining could not sustain a female bout of that magnitude.

Today, Tom Loeffler of 360 Promotions and K2 Promotions, said the Braekhus bout will definitely not take place. But a future bout is in the works.

Showdown in Texas

Undefeated lightweight Selina Barrios (4-0, 2 KOs) accepted the challenge to her NABF lightweight title from Patricia Juarez (4-0) the sister of Mexican icon Mariana “Barby” Juarez. Their encounter will take place on Saturday Sept. 22, in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Barrios, 25, defended her title last month against Kazakhstan’s Aida Satybaldinova and won with a scintillating knockout victory. Now she faces Colorado’s Juarez of the fighting Juarez sister clan. Younger sister Lourdes Juarez is currently a flyweight contender.

“Patricia Juarez asked to fight me, and I feel that part of being a champion is accepting fights with worthy opponents,” stated Barrios, who hails from San Antonio, TX. “She is an undefeated fighter with the same record as me, and her sister is a future Hall of Famer.  I look forward to making a title defense against a worthy challenger like Patricia Juarez.”

Patricia Juarez, 37, barely started boxing two years ago, but remains undefeated and looking to pull off an upset.

“I want to represent Mexico and fight on behalf of my country, and win this title for my people,” said Patricia Juarez, who trains in Denver, Colorado. “I asked for this fight, and now I have it.  I can’t wait to take advantage of this opportunity and follow in the footsteps of my sister Mariana.  I’m going to bring home a victory for my people back home in Mexico.”

Efforts to have the title fight streamed on Facebook are being discussed.

Kina

While at a Los Angeles boxing card one of the supervisors for the WBA title fight was former female world champion Kina “Dinamita” Malpartida.

Malpartida, now retired, is a former super featherweight world champion who never lost the title in the boxing ring. Her last fight took place at Kingston, Jamaica where she defended the title against Marilyn Hernandez on December 2012. She won by decision and defended it six times from 2009 to 2012.

She is now living and working in the Los Angeles area. Malpartida was the first world champion from her native Peru and was also a surfing star.

“I’m just enjoying life,” said Malpartida while at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown L.A. “I’m glad to see women’s boxing is doing so much better.

 

More Female Fight News

Argentina

Macarena Ledesma (9-0) beat Paola Ibarra (5-6) by decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Aug. 19. The lightweight match was held in Cipoletti. Also, Abril Vidal (3-0) knocked out Micaela Cabral (2-2) in the third round of a super welterweight contest.

On Friday Aug. 24, super flyweights Evelyn Bermudez (8-0) and Natalia Alderete (3-1) meet in a six round contest at Tres Arroyos, Buenos Aires.

On Friday Aug. 24, featherweights Estefania Alaniz (2-1-1) and Patricia Reinoso (1-4-1) meet in a six round match at Mendoza.

 

Australia

Bianca Elmir (2-0) knocked out Wendy Talbot (0-5) in the third round on Saturday Aug. 18. The featherweight fight took place in Woden, Australian Capital Territory.

 

Chile

On Saturday Aug. 25, light flyweights Isis Mascarena (4-1) and Maria Nunez (3-0) meet in a six round fight at Iquique.

 

Denmark

On Saturday Aug. 25, super bantamweights Dina Thorslund (11-0) and Mexico’s Jessica Arreguin Munoz (17-1-1) clash for the vacant WBO world title at Struer. Also, Joanna Ekedahl (6-0) fights Alina Samsonova (0-1) in a super featherweight fight.

 

Hungary

Renata Rakoczi (3-0) knocked out Csilla Megyeri (0-1) in the third round. The featherweight bout took place in Budapest.

 

Japan

Miyo Yoshida (10-1) was the winner by technical decision after five rounds against Gretel De Paz (5-4) on Sunday Aug. 19. The fight for the OPBF bantamweight title took place in Tokyo. It was an all-female fight card. Other results: minimum weights Nanae Suzuki (7-2-1) beat Akari Asase (6-5) by decision, Eri Matsuda (1-0) beat Sana Hazuki (6-4-1), Mont Blanc Miki (2-2) beat Megumi Hosada (2-1) by split decision. In bantamweight fights Yoshie Wakasa (6-0) won Tomoko Okuda (4-2-1) by split decision, Rena Koizumi (1-0) defeated Saki Horiguchi (0-2). Light flyweight Kanae Maehara (1-0) beat Michiko Arai (0-1). All took place at Korakuen Hall.

Masae Akitaya (13-6-2) won by majority decision after six rounds versus Floryvic Montero (3-6) on Sunday Aug. 19. The minimum weight contest took place in Osaka. Also, Yume Hirayama (3-0) defeated Yui Akai (2-1) by split decision after four flyweight rounds.

 

Malaysia

Nurshahidah Roslie (9-2) beat Siriwan Thongmanit (6-13-1) by knockout in the fifth round on Sunday Aug. 19. The welterweight fight was held in Kuala Lumpur.

 

Mexico

Anabel Ortiz (28-3) defeated Venezuela’s Yenifer Leon (9-1) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Aug. 18. The WBA minimum weight title fight took place in Chihuahua. Ortiz, 32, fights out of Mexico City and is also a former WBC titlist in the same weight class. It was her 10 defense since winning it in 2013.

On Saturday Aug. 25, flyweights Nora Cardoza (13-5-2) and Claudia Vargas Ramirez (0-1) meet in a four round contest in Durango.

 

New Zealand

Baby Nansen (7-3-1) defeated Quinita Hati (1-4-1) by split decision after four rounds on Saturday Aug. 18. The lightweight fight was held at Kerikeri.

 

Panama

On Thurs. Aug. 23, super bantamweights Karla Mendoza (0-0-1) and Teresa Almengor (0-0-1) meet in a four round fight at Panama City.

 

Philippines

On Thurs. Aug. 23, minimum weights Umi Ishikawa (6-2) and Wassana Kamdee (3-3) meet in a 10 round fight for the vacant WBC Asian title at Manila.

 

South Korea

Bo Mi Re Shin (6-0-3) knocked out Chika Mizutani (14-7) in the fifth round on Sunday Aug. 19. The lightweight fight took place in Seoul.

 

Turkey

On Sunday Aug. 26, super lightweights Gulsum Tatar (3-0) and Nana Chakhvashvili (6-8) meet in a 10 round fight at Alanya.

 

USA

On Saturday Aug. 25, super featherweights Mikaela Mayer (6-0) and Edina Kiss (14-7) meet in an eight round fight at Glendale, Arizona. ESPN+ will stream the bout.

On Saturday Aug. 25, welterweights Shianne Gist (3-0-2) and Crystal Byers (0-3) meet in a six round fight at Wheeling, West Virginia.