Ebanie Bridges, Yokasta Valle, Savannah Marshall and More News and Notes

 

By David A. Avila

About Last Week.

Several marquee women fought world title fights and battled for contender status in England, Costa Rica and Mexico. There was good and bad that happened.

A hearty congratulations to Australia’s Ebanie Bridges who banged out a win over Argentina’s Maria Roman to rip the IBF bantamweight world title away from the former champion in Leeds.

What a performance.

If you previously saw her epic fight with Shannon Courtenay a year ago in her first world title attempt, or the battle against Mailys Gangloff last September, then you had to expect the Aussie to blaze to victory in her typical aggressive and technical style.

Bridges didn’t change her style but added more hit and slip to her attack and that led to a convincing victory over Roman who had been the longest reigning bantamweight champion. The bantamweight division has depth and talent beginning with Denmark’s Dina Thorslund and America’s Jamie Mitchell who defeated Courtenay and finally there is Mexico’s Yuliana Luna Avila who fights this weekend.

Expect some exciting battles with any of those fighters later this year. They can be made.

 

Those Protectors

One drawback in the England fights was watching women enter the ring with protectors around their abdomen. It’s not ok.

For those not familiar with protectors, they are rubber-like body shields strapped around a person’s waist and are worn above the waistline to prevent body shots.

Wearing protectors during sparring and workouts poses no problem. But wearing them during a fight should be against the rules. Protectors, especially as Maria Roman wore in the world title fight should not be tolerated. Body shots are an important part of boxing and if protectors are covering the stomach area, then my question is why are you fighting?

If you need to wear a protector to prevent body shots, you are not a fighter. You are a poser.

Lately many European women and Argentine women have entered prize fights with large protectors taking away any flesh targets.

All boxing bodies should eliminate the protector during a fight. No one should be allowed to enter the prize ring wearing one. Men as well.

If a fighter can’t take a body shot, get out of the game.

 

Costa Rica review

An all-female fight card by MarvNation Promotions was led by IBF minimumweight titlist Yokasta Valle who handily defeated Sana Hazuki by unanimous decision. It was the Costa Rican fighter’s fourth defense of the world title she won back in 2019. And usually, the fighter known as Yoka has an exciting style. But against Hazuki she resorted to hitting and holding for the last six rounds.

It was not worth watching again.

Whoever trains her has not taught her how to fight inside. They teach her to grab ahold as a form of defense. This makes any fight boring. Every time Hazuki got within arms length Valle would grab the Japanese fighter’s arms or torso. This wasted at least a minute a round in a two-minute round

Nobody wants to see a fight with a lot of grabbing and holding. Nobody. Boxing is supposed to be about entertaining. Holding is not entertaining.

The other fights including her younger sister Naomy Valle were very entertaining. Younger sister Naomy stopped her foe in the third round. She was a force and well worth watching with her performance.

Another exciting performer was Adelaida “La Cobra” Ruiz who knocked out her foe in three rounds. Ruiz doesn’t like to waste time. As soon as the bell rang she was going for the knockout. That’s entertainment and what fans want to see.

 

McCarter in Mexico

Now undefeated for 15 years Layla McCarter ventured to Mexico again and this time faced Brazil’s tall Halanna Dos Santos in a town near Mexico City on Friday.

McCarter has been trying to get a world champion in the boxing ring, but none have come calling. Though ranked high in the welterweight division for the past five years the Las Vegas fighter has yet to get a crack at the welterweight champion, or the super lightweight champion, or the lightweight champion. Those are all divisions she can make the weight.

A few years back McCarter had a crack at Cecilia Braekhus but her team turned down the offer as too low. She also had a crack at one of the super lightweight world titlists but did not like the terms of needing to sign with the promoter. All good reasons but time is running out for one of the best if not the best fighter of her generation.

Women’s boxing or prizefighting as I like to call it, has been rocketing up the ladder of recognition. Next month Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor meet at Madison Square Garden along with Franchon Crews and Elin Cederroos in epic title fights.

It’s just the beginning.

 

Savannah’s Turn

England’s mighty Savannah Marshall (11-0) defends the WBO middleweight title against Femke Hermans (12-3) on Saturday April 2, for the WBO world title at Newcastle, England. It can be seen on the SkyGo app.

A win by Marshall sets up the showdown with America’s Claressa Shields to determine the undisputed middleweight world champion. Shields has the WBA, IBF and WBC titles. Marshall has the WBO. Winner takes all.

Marshall is the last fighter to beat Shields and that occurred in the amateurs. She’s held that fact over the head of Shields like a Sword of Damocles. But first, she must defeat Hermans. Many look at this fight as a mere hiccup for Marshall, but anything can happen in boxing.

 

More Female Fight News

Argentina

Evelyn Bermudez (16-0-1) won by technical knockout in the fifth round versus Debora Rengifo (16-9-1) on Saturday March 26. The IBF and WBO light flyweight world title fight was held at Buenos Aires.

On Saturday April 2, flyweights Aixa Adema (3-8-5) and Daniela Molina (2-7-3) meet six three-minute rounds at La Pampa.

 

Australia

Brooke Cooper (2-1) knocked out Karen Te Ruki (3-3) in the third round on Saturday March 26. The lightweight match took place at Carrara, Queensland.

 

Austria

On Saturday April 2, welterweights Michaela Kotaskova (0-0) and Katarina Vistica (1-19) meet four rounds in Vienna.

 

Canada

Mary Spencer (4-0) knocked out Beatriz Aguilar (7-7-1) in the first round on Saturday March 26. The super lightweight bout took place at Montreal. Also, Leila Beaudoin (5-0) beat Estefania Gonzalez (3-5) by decision in a super featherweight match.

Marie Pier Houle (6-0-1) won by decision after six rounds versus Valentina Keri (5-6) on Friday March 25. The super lightweight bout took place at Quebec.

 

Colombia

On Friday April 1, featherweights Yohana Sarabia (7-0) and Keren Batiz (7-3-1) meet six rounds at Barranquilla. Also, featherweights Maria Jose Ramos (1-0) and Lira Huyke (3-2-1) meet four rounds.

 

Costa Rica

Yokasta Valle (24-2) beat Sana Hazuki (8-6-1) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Friday March 25. The IBF minimumweight title fight was held at San Carlos. Middleweight Maricela Cornejo (15-5) beat Simone Aparecida (17-20) after eight rounds; bantamweight Adelaida Ruiz (11-0-1) knocked out Edith Flores (7-19) in the third round; minimumweight Naomy Valle (1-0) knocked out Heidi Fernandez (0-1) in the third round; super bantamweight Linn Sandstrom (4-2-1) beat Cristel Ruiz (0-1).

 

Finland

On Saturday April 2, bantamweights Lotta Loikkanen (6-2) and Ivanka Ivanova (3-18-3) meet six rounds at Juuka.

 

France

Sofia Nabet (2-0) won by decision after six rounds against Marija Zivkovic (1-9-1) on Saturday March 26. The lightweight bout took place at Val de Marne.

Odelia Ben Ephraim (2-1) won by majority decision after six rounds versus Romane Geffray (2-4-1) on Thursday March 24. The super bantamweight contest took place in Paris.

 

Germany

Hanna Hansen (4-0) knocked out Jeanmary Martinez (3-3) in the seventh round on Saturday March 26. The super welterweight fight took place at Dortmund.

On Saturday April 2, super bantamweights Sarah Liegmann (2-0) and Ladislava Holubova (0-5) meet four rounds at Frechen.

 

Guatemala

Eveling Junieth Ortega (2-4) defeated Hilary Romero (0-2) by decision after four rounds on Saturday March 26. The minimumweight fight was held at Guatemala City.

On Saturday April 2, light flyweights Jenniffer Hernandez Melgar (0-0) and Maria Lopez Roldan (0-0) meet four rounds at Guatemala City.

 

Japan

On Sunday April 3, minimumweights Sarasa Ichimura (4-9-1) and Minayo Kei (6-5) meet six rounds at Osaka.

 

Mexico

Layla McCarter (46-13-5) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Brazil’s Halanna Dos Santos (14-9) on Saturday March 26. The welterweight fight took place at Xochitepec, Mexico. Also, Prisca Vicot (14-9) defeated Paulina Cardona (25-25-7) by decision in a 10 round super lightweight match.

Jazmin Gala Villarino (6-1-2) defeated Judith Vivanco (10-5-1) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday March 26. The minimumweight title fight was held in Mexico City.

Diana Fernandez (25-4-1) won by decision after 10 rounds versus Vanesa Taborda (10-14-3) on Friday March 25. The bantamweight match was held in Ciudad Juarez.

On Thursday March 31, lightweights Jareth Roussell (0-0) and Litzy Vazquez (0-0) meet four rounds at Veracruz.

On Saturday April 2, super bantamweights Yamileth Mercado (18-3) and Zulina Munoz (53-4-2) meet 10 rounds for the WBC world title at Chihuahua.

On April 2, flyweights Karla Saenz (0-1) and Karla Tarango (0-0) meet four rounds at Juarez.

On Saturday April 2, bantamweights Yulihan Luna Avila (22-3-1) and Mayeli Flores (8-0-1) meet 10 rounds for the WBC world title at Puebla.

On Sunday April 3, atomweights Esneidy Rodriguez (0-0) and Mariana Arzueto (0-2) meet six rounds at Veracruz.

 

Poland

Laura Grzyb (6-0) defeated Vanessa Caballero (4-14-3) by unanimous decision after six rounds on Saturday March 26. The featherweight bout took place at Bialystok.

Justyna Walas (2-0) won by decision after four rounds against Lili Jumali (1-3) on Saturday March 26. The super welterweight bout took place at Bialystok.

 

South Africa

Mapule Ngubane (9-8-3) won by unanimous decision after 10 three-minute rounds against Rushda Mallick (2-2-1) on Sunday March 27. The South African middleweight title fight was held at Durban.

Razel Mohammed (2-0-2) took the win by decision after 10 rounds against Lillian Molala (2-11-2) on Saturday March 26. The cruiserweight match took place at Eastern Cape. Also, Owethu Rula (2-2) beat Hariet Mtende (1-1) in a flyweight fight.

Hedda Wolmarans (7-0) beat Ruth Chisale (11-2) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Thursday March 24. The super lightweight fight took place at Johannesburg. Also, super bantamweights Sehliselswe Nhliziyo (0-1-1) and Nosiacwase Dube (0-3-2) fought to a draw after four rounds.

 

Spain

On Friday April 1, super bantamweights Jorgelina Guanini (9-4-2) and Stevi Levy (5-0) meet six rounds at Barcelona.

 

Switzerland

On Saturday April 2, super lightweights Anais Kisler (1-0) and Mahjouba Oubtil (2-0) meet six rounds at Windisch.

 

Thailand

Cecile Cortez (2-0) defeated Manatsawee Srithongkham (1-3) by unanimous decision after six rounds on Sunday March 27. The minimumweight match took place at Pathum Thani.

 

Uganda

On Friday April 1, super bantamweights Catherine Nanziri (0-0) and Nicholine Achieng (1-7-1) meet four rounds at Kampala.

 

United Kingdom

Ebanie Bridges (8-1) defeated Mary Cecilia Roman (16-6-1) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday March 26. The IBF world title match was held at Leeds, England. Also, featherweight Skye Nicolson (2-0) beat Bec Connolly (3-12) after six rounds.

Beccy Ferguson (2-4) took the win by decision after four rounds against Hannah Baggaley (1-1) on Saturday March 26. The super lightweight fight took place at Manchester, England.

Caroline Dubois (2-0) knocked out Martina Horgasz (5-9) in the firs round on Saturday March 26. The lightweight bout was held in London, England. Also, super flyweight Shannon Ryan (1-0) beat Claudia Ferenczi (20-90-8) by decision after four rounds.

Lianne Bush (3-0) won by decision after six rounds against Karina Szmalenberg (14-49-4) on Saturday March 26. The lightweight bout was held in Nottingham, England.

On Saturday April 2, middleweights Savannah Marshall (11-0) and Femke Hermans (12-3) meet 10 rounds for the WBO world title at Newcastle, England. Also, super welterweights April Hunter (4-1) and Ester Konecna (1-14-1) meet six rounds. Plus, super flyweights Chole Watson (1-0) and Gemma Ruegg (1-2) meet four rounds. Super welterweights Georgia O’Connor (1-0) and Erica Alvarez (2-5) meet four rounds.

 

USA
On Friday April 1, welterweights Sara French (5-2-1) and Deborah Willies (1-0) meet four rounds at Rosemont, Illinois.

On Saturday April 2, welterweights Summer Lynn (6-0) and Jaica Pavilus (2-4-1) meet four rounds at Pomona, California.

On Saturday April 2, super bantamweights Danielle Bennett (3-1) and Brittany Dukes (0-0) meet four rounds at Topeka, Kansas.

 

 

(Photo by Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)