Female Fight News for week of Dec. 12, 2016: Taylor, Serrano and more
Ireland’s Katie Taylor returned to the ring after only two weeks and Cindy Serrano of the fighting Serrano sisters grabbed the WBO world title in Puerto Rico.
Female prizefighting jumped up a notch with world title fights around the globe with even more coming this weekend.
Argentina and Mexico led the way in terms of the number of fights that took place and will continue their onslaught next weekend with Mariana “Barbie” Juarez returning to the boxing ring. In Argentina, that country’s veteran Marcela Acuna returns in a world title match against a former foe Yesica Marcos.
Business is picking up and will be even more explosive next month.
Here’s what happened around the world:
Fight news and results
Argentina
Yohana Alfonzo (16-2) defeated Colombia’s Diana Ayala (20-13-4) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds to keep the WBO lightweight world title. The championship fight took place on Saturday Dec. 10, in San Luis. It was Alfonzo’s third successful title defense. Also, in a flyweight bout, Soledad Frias (10-8-4) knocked out Neisi Torres (13-6-1) in the seventh round.
Makarena Gallastegui (2-0) floored Virginia Carcamo (4-1-1) in the second round and won by unanimous decision after a four round super bantamweight fight on Friday Dec. 9, in San Carlos, Argentina.
Luna Torroba (11-5-2) won by technical knockout in round four over Yohana Mora (3-4-2) in their super flyweight match on Friday Dec. 9, held in Lonquimay, Argentina.
Anyelen Espinosa (2-0) beat Laura Salazar (0-3) by decision after a four round light flyweight fight on Friday Dec. 9, in Zarate, Argentina.
Rosa Alvarado (1-0) beat Romina Gorosito (0-2) by decision after a four round super flyweight bout on Friday Dec. 9, in Rio Grande, Argentina.
On Friday Dec. 16, super bantamweights Marcela Acuna (44-6-1) fights for the vacant IBF super bantamweight title against Yesica Marcos (27-0-2). The 10 round title bout takes place in Moreno, Argentina. Both Acuna and Marcos are former world champions and fought to a draw in their last encounter in 2013. Acuna, 40, is one of Argentina’s greatest female fighters of all time.
Belgium
Djemilla Gontaruk (12-3-1) beat Wendy Gervois (2-10) by unanimous decision after a six round featherweight bout on Saturday Dec. 10 in La Calamine, Belgium.
Najat Hasnouri (3-0-2) fought to a draw after four rounds versus Ester Konecna (1-1-1) in a six round middleweight on Friday Dec. 9, in Antwerpen, Belgium.
Canada
Marie Decaire (6-0) defeated Mexico’s Paty Ramirez (11-3) by decision after six rounds in a welterweight clash on Saturday in Montreal, Canada.
Costa Rica
On Friday Dec. 18, minimum weights Yokasta Valle (11-0) of Costa Rica and Mexico’s Ana Polo (3-1) meet in a 10 round contest in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Dominican Republic
On Saturday Dec. 17, super featherweights Maribel Santana (13-10-1) and Roxana Peralta (4-5-2) meet in a 10 round bout in Punta Cana, D.R. Also, super welterweights Oxandia Castillo (15-2-3) and Victorina Britez (3-4-3) meet in another 10-round fight.
Finland
On Saturday Dec. 17, super featherweights Eva Wahlstrom (18-0-1) and Argentina’s Anahi Sanchez (14-0) meet for the WBC super featherweight title in Helsinki, Finland. Wahlstrom, 36, is making the second defense of the title. Sanchez, 25, holds the IBF super featherweight title.
France
Isabelle Pare (5-0) won by split decision over Marion Montanari (2-2) after eight rounds to win the vacant French lightweight title on Saturday Dec. 10, in Bourgoin Jallieu, France.
Taoussy L’Hadji (5-5) defeated Sara Marjanovic (2-6) by decision after a six round super featherweight fight on Saturday Dec. 10, in Tours, France.
On Saturday Dec. 17, welterweights Marie Meron (1-0) and Kinga Magyar (1-2) in a four round bout in Beauvais, France.
Italy
Ilaria Scopece (4-0) beat Mirela Barudzic (1-8) by decision after six round flyweight bout on Saturday Dec. 10, in Lombardia, Italy.
Japan
On Sunday Dec. 18, minimum weights Yuko Kuroki (16-4-1) and Mari Ando (13-9) meet in a 10 round contest for the WBC world title. The match takes place in Fukuoka, Japan. Kuroki, a 25 year old southpaw, is making the fifth defense of the world title. This is a rematch between the two. Both fought each other for the title in May 2014. In other bouts, Sana Hazuki (4-1) and Petchompoo Mor Krungtheptonburi (2-0) meet in four round minimumweight bout.
On Sunday Dec. 18, minimum weights Akari Arase (4-2) Krikanok Islandmuythai (4-6-1) meet in a six round bout in Osaka, Japan. Also, super bantamweights Tomoko Okuda (2-1) and Miki Mitsuda (1-2) meet in four round contest.
Luxembourg
Caroline Andre (2-2) beat Jacinthe Berenguer (2-4) by majority decision after an eight round super lightweight fight on Sunday Dec. 11, in Rumelange, Luxembourg.
Mexico
Paola Torres (4-1) beat Karla Diaz (0-1) by unanimous decision after a four round super featherweight fight on Saturday Dec. 10, in Monterrey, Mexico.
Cristina Mora (4-0-1) beat Estrella Hernandez (0-2) by unanimous decision in a four round flyweight clash on Saturday Dec. 10, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Also, Irene Cibrian (1-1-1) defeated Mayela Perez (13-22-4) by decision in a light flyweight bout after four rounds.
Isabel Millan (18-2-1) won by disqualification over Sonia Osorio (8-3-1) in the 10th round of their 10 round flyweight fight on Friday Dec. 9, in Monterrey, Mexico. (For more read story by Felipe Leon on this web site.)
On Saturday Dec. 17, a bantamweight between Irma Garcia (16-1-1) and Mariana “Barbie” Juarez (43-9-4) takes place in Cancun, Mexico. The 10-round bout is for the WBC International title. Juarez, 36, has been one of the best female fighters pound for pound for many years but now fights at bantamweight. Garcia is a former WBA bantamweight titlist who defended it once before losing to Jessica Chavez. It’s a crucial match for both.
New Zealand
Shannon O’Connell (15-4-1) beat Argentina’s Laura Griffa (13-1) by unanimous decision after eight rounds in a super bantamweight clash on Saturday Dec. 10. The match took place in Auckland, New Zealand. O’Connell, 33, has a four-fight win streak and holds the WBC Silver title. Griffa, 30, fights out of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Peru
Maria Milano (6-1-1) defeated Rocio Gaspar (11-1) by split decision after 10 rounds of a minimum weight fight to win the interim WBA title on Saturday Dec. 10, in Lima, Peru. Milano, 29, fights out of Venezuela. Gaspar, 24, fights out of Peru and suffered her first loss as a pro.
Puerto Rico
Cindy Serrano (25-5-3) captured the vacant WBO featherweight title by majority decision over Colombia’s Calixta Silgado (15-8-3) after 10 contentious rounds on Saturday Dec. 10. The title fight took place in Catano, Puerto Rico where Serrano, 34, won the WBO title and now forms the first sister combination from Puerto Rico to hold world titles simultaneously. Amanda Serrano, 28, has the WBO super bantamweight title and will be defending it on Jan. 14 in Brooklyn, New York against Mexico’s Yazmin Rivas. (more on this fight tomorrow)
Slovakia
Claudia Ferenczi (15-54-6) beat Karin Brand (0-3) by technical knockout in the fourth round of their flyweight bout on Saturday Dec. 10 in Komarno, Slovakia.
Spain
On Saturday Dec. 17, super welterweights Inna Sagaydakovskaya (3-0) and Eva Bajic (12-8) fight in an eight round bout in Bilbao, Spain.
Sweden
Mikaela Lauren (28-4) beat Szilvia Szabados (14-8) by technical knockout in the sixth round of their super welterweight fight on Friday Dec. 9, in Stockholm, Sweden. Also, Patricia Berghult (5-0) beat Monika Antonik (1-1) by decision after a six round super lightweight fight.
Switzerland
Aniya Seki (31-3-2) knocked out Alexandra Lazar (9-3) in the ninth round of their scheduled 10 round super bantamweight bout on Saturday Dec. 10 in Berne, Switzerland. Seki, 37, wins the WBC Silver title with the victory.
United Kingdom
Katie Taylor (2-0) defeated veteran Viviane Obenauf (9-2) by decision after six rounds in a lightweight bout on Saturday Dec. 10, in Manchester, England. Taylor, 30, a former 2012 Olympic gold medalist from Ireland, floored Obenauf of Switzerland in the second round and out-pointed the 30-year-old Obenauf. It was Taylor’s second win in two weeks.
USA
Tori Nelson (16-0-3) beat Alicia Napoleon (7-1) by unanimous decision to win the vacant UBF and WIBA super middleweight titles on Saturday Dec. 10, in Springfield, Virginia. The winner Nelson 40, fights out of Virginia. Napoleon, 30, suffered her first loss as a pro and fights out of New York.