Jessica McCaskill, Adelaida Ruiz and More Female Fight News

Punching Preferred, Not Holding and Female Fight News

 

By David A. Avila

A major world title fight saw Jessica “Kaskilla” McCaskill retain the WBC and WBA super lightweight world titles by majority decision against Argentina’s Erica Farias otherwise known as “La Pantera.”

A more appropriate name would be “La Anaconda”

Farias showed an overwhelming penchant for clinching, grabbing and holding tactics than a willingness to exchange blows with McCaskill. The rematch proved to be frustrating to watch for those in Chicago and watching around the world.

The art of boxing does not include holding regardless of what some trainers teach in their gyms. It’s illegal according to the rules and for a major reason. It bores everyone to tears watching a hug fest.

Christian Curiel, the referee for the fight, deducted a point from Farias for holding but did not follow through. The Mexican referee allowed the former lightweight and super lightweight world champion to continue her clutch and grab tactics almost until the end of the fight. It was Curiel’s responsibility to keep the fight under control and he let Farias grab away the night.

“I was shocked at the way she (Farias) fought. We were expecting to knock her out. I was disappointed at the referee letting her get away with that,” said Rick Ramos, trainer and manager for McCaskill. “There was nothing Jessica could do.”

McCaskill did her job, or as much as she possibly could and punched whenever the opportunity arose. But Farias showed the world she had no answers to win the fight, only to survive.

Attention all trainers and fighters out there. Do not rely on holding as a tactic for defense. It’s not defense, its’ being lazy. Fans don’t love it, television viewers don’t love it, and nobody loves it except for the guilty parties utilizing this illegal manipulation.

Amateurs seem to be taught at a young age how to hold. Forget it. Erase out of your minds the way I and many others are trying to erase the memory of Farias grabbing McCaskill for 10 rounds last Saturday.

 

Los Angeles County

Adelaida “La Cobra” Ruiz (9-0, 4 KOs) battled to a unanimous decision victory after six rounds with Las Vegas fighter Mikayla Nebel (2-8). Most expected a knockout win due to their win and loss records. But in women’s prizefighting it’s all about who you have fought more than what your record looks like.

Nebel came to fight, not fall down.

A year ago Ruiz put together a knockout string of four consecutive fights. One of those foes had five wins and no losses and she was still able to brutally end the fight with a single punch in a result that was rated the 2018 “Knockout of the Year” by our publication.

Ruiz has developed a reputation as a banger and Nebel had developed her own reputation as a fearless competitor willing to challenge the bigger names. Though she’s been fighting since 2012, Nebel only has 10 pro bouts including two clashes with former featherweight world titlist Heather “The Heat” Hardy and another with Shelly Vincent. That’s very good competition.

In all six rounds Ruiz attacked like one of those rampaging robots on the TV show Battle Bots and Nebel kept trying to catch her with just the right punch. Despite receiving more fastballs than a Justin Verlander catcher, she kept looking for that homerun punch. That’s prizefighting.

 

More Female Fight News

Argentina

Nazarena Romero (9-0) beat Rosa Caraballo (1-5) by unanimous decision after six rounds on Friday Oct. 11.The super featherweight match was held in Catamarca.

Micaela Sarfati (2-0) defeated Eliana Orecchia (0-2) by decision after four rounds. The super bantamweight fight was held in Coronda.

On Friday Oct. 18, bantamweights Augustina Belen (2-0) and Lucia Los Angeles Ruiz (2-2) meet in a four round bout at Monte Grande.

On Friday Oct. 18, super flyweights Anyelen Espinosa (7-1) and Virginia Carcamo (5-11-3) meet in a six round fight in Santa Cruz.

On Saturday Oct. 19, bantamweights Roxana Bermudez (2-1-1) and Antonella Molina (1-6) meet in a four round bout at Rosario.

 

Australia

Ebanie Bridges (2-0) knocked out Laura Woods (0-1) on Saturday Oct. 12. The super bantamweight fight was held in Punchbowl.

On Friday Oct. 18, middleweights Tayla Harris (5-0-1) and Margarite Butcher (0-2) meet in an eight round bout at Flemington.

 

Brazil

On Friday Oct. 18, super lightweights Adriana Dos Santos (4-0) and Claudia Lopez (25-10) meet in a 10 round title clash at Sao Paolo.

 

Canada

On Saturday Oct. 19, super lightweights Jessica Camara (6-1) and Beatriz Aguilar (6-2-1) meet in a six round fight at Ontario.

 

Chile

Daniela Asenjo (11-3-2) defeated Aixa Adema (3-3-4) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Oct. 12. The super flyweight title fight was held at Punta Arenas.

 

Denmark

Sarah Mahfoud (9-0) won by unanimous decision after eight rounds versus Enerolisa De Leon (5-3-2) on Saturday Oct. 12. The featherweight bout was held at Hilleroed.

 

Finland

Sanna Turunen (6-3-1) defeated Elene Sikhmashvili (5-9) by decision after eight rounds on Friday Oct. 11. The super middleweight fight was held in Helsinki.

 

Germany

Jessica Schadko (7-0) won by unanimous decision after six rounds over Kamilla Boka (3-4) on Saturday Oct. 12. The welterweight fight took place in Nuremberg.

Gina Meon (1-0) won by first round knockout against Kristina Jeftenic (0-13) on Saturday Oct. 12. The super bantamweight bout took place at Darmstadt.

 

Italy

On Saturday Oct. 19, flyweights Ilaria Scopece (8-0) and Valeria De Francesco (2-0) meet in a 10 round title fight at Lombardia.

 

Mexico

Mariana Juarez (54-9-4) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Argentina’s Carolina Duer (19-6-1) on Saturday Oct. 12. The WBC bantamweight world title fight took place at Fresnillo, Zacatecas.

On Saturday Oct. 19, super flyweights Karina Fernandez (12-4-1) and Cecilia Santoscoy (2-5) meet in an eight round bout at Chihuahua. Also, super bantamweights Karla Gonzalez (2-0) and Brenda Ruacho (0-1) meet in a six round bout.

 

Monaco

On Sunday Oct. 20, lightweights Victoire Piteau (3-1) and Raphaelle Lachaume (0-0) meet in a four round bout in Monte Carlo.

 

New Zealand

Talia Smith (1-0) defeated Toni Moki (0-2) by decision after four rounds on Friday Oct. 11. The middleweight bout was held in Auckland.

 

Philippines

On Wednesday Oct. 16, flyweights Carleans Rivas (7-6-4) and Floryvic Montero (5-7) meet in a six round bout at Calbayog City.

 

Poland

On Saturday Oct. 19, lightweights Oleksandra Sidorenko (7-0) and Argentina’s Mayra Gomez (18-9) meet in an eight round fight at Lomianki.

 

South Africa

On Sunday Oct.20, super flyweights Simangele Hadebe (6-3-2) and Thema Zuma (5-3) meet in an eight round fight at Pretoria.

 

Switzerland

Gabriela Timar (2-0) won by unanimous decision after six rounds versus Andrea Jenei (1-13) on Saturday Oct.12. The super flyweight match was held at Basel.

 

Thailand

Umi Ishikawa (8-3) won by technical knockout in the fourth round over Tassana Paladsrichuay (4-5) on Wednesday Oct. 9. The WBC minimum weight regional title fight was held at Bangkok. Also, Wassana Kamdee (4-5) beat Jarusiri Rongmuang (3-3) by knockout in the third round of their light flyweight clash.

 

United Kingdom

Amy Timlin (3-0) defeated Bojana Libiszewska (5-37) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Oct. 12. The super featherweight fight took place at Staffordshire, England.

 

USA

Jessica McCaskill (8-2) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Argentina’s Erica Farias (26-4) on Saturday Oct. 12. The WBC and WBA super lightweight world title clash took place in Chicago and was a rematch of their fight a year ago.

Adelaida Ruiz (9-0) won by unanimous decision after six rounds versus Mikayla Nebel (2-8) on Saturday Oct. 12. The bantamweight fight took place at Pico Rivera, California. Also, Chelsey Anderson (2-0) won by first round knockout over Tess Kielhamer (0-1) in a lightweight contest scheduled for four rounds.

Kristine Ion-Rood (2-0) won by knockout over Daisha Duran (0-1) in the second round on Saturday Oct. 12. The middleweight fight took place at Davenport, Iowa.

Amy Lemenager (1-0) knocked out Kayla Brady (0-2-1) in the second round on Friday Oct. 11. The super middleweight fight took place at Duluth, Minnesota.

On Friday Oct. 18, featherweights Maureen Shea (27-2-1) and Edina Kiss (15-11) meet in a six round bout at Niagara Falls, New York.

On Saturday Oct. 19, featherweights Sheena Brandenburg (1-0) and Delaney Owen (0-0) meet in a five round bout at Tampa, Florida. Also, light heavyweights Calie Cutler (0-0) and Martyna Krol (0-0) meet in a five round match.

 

Zambia

On Saturday Oct. 19, lightweights Catherine Phiri (16-4) and Rehema Abdallah (8-0-1) meet in a 10 round title fight at Lusaka.

 

(Photo by Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing)