Savannah Marshall Wins, Kenia Enriquez Waits and More News and Notes
By David A. Avila
Stage one of the epic showdown between the two top fighters above super welterweight took place this past weekend with Savannah Marshall blowing out unknown and untried Lolita Muzeya in two rounds in England.
The second stage toward the ultimate clash of undefeated middleweights takes place in less than two weeks as Claressa Shields enters the MMA cage to participate in her second excursion into that fight discipline. Any time MMA is involved the risk of injury doubles. Too many limbs involved.
If Shields emerges victorious, a third stage possibly involves another fight in the boxing world for the two-time Olympic gold medalist. Maybe not.
When Shields and Marshall finally meet it presents the greatest fight between women not named Katie Taylor. At least for the hardcore fans of women’s boxing.
Marshall has very little recognition in the USA though she did start her pro boxing career with Mayweather Promotions in Las Vegas. After spending that time in boxing limbo, she returned home to England and began her trek toward stardom in Europe. The tall middleweight with heavy hands has built a solid following over there.
Unlike Taylor, who fought a number of times in New York, Marshall has not fought in America, but has caught attention mostly in Europe with her knockout power. Only Amanda Serrano has more vaunted credentials in rendering opponents unconscious or defenseless.
European fans love Marshall’s power and the fact she defeated Shields in an amateur fight many years ago. Amateur boxing means little in the professional fight game, especially when its scheduled for 10 rounds. It’s a marathon not a sprint. But when Shields fights Marshall the world will be watching.
Kenia Enriquez and WBC
WBC light flyweight titlist Yesenia Gomez fought and won on Saturday in a nontitle fight. No other fighter on the planet has been protected as much as Gomez who has not fought the number one contender Kenia Enriquez since winning the title.
How does she avoid fighting Kenia Enriquez?
Enriquez, in particular, has held the WBC interim light flyweight title four years, which essentially means she is the number one contender during that time. You read that correctly. Since April 2017, Enriquez has been ranked number one, yet the WBC has not forced Yesenia Gomez to defend against Enriquez.
On Thursday Oct. 21, Enriquez turns 28 years old. She has been the number one contender since she was 23 years old and still the WBC has yet to force Gomez to defend against her.
What a shame.
Bantamweights heating up
Somewhat forgotten bantamweight contender Shannon O’Connell fights undefeated Taylah Robertson for the British Commonwealth title this coming weekend.
Before popular Ebanie Bridges rose to her current elite status, there was another Aussie O’Connell who previously fought numerous elite fighters like Argentina’s Marcela Acuna, South Korea’s Hyun Mi Choi and Diana Prazak of Australia. All of those fighters were at weights above her current bantamweight level.
Whoever wins on Saturday could be making the proper step toward obtaining a bantamweight title fight. The bantamweights seem to be heating up.
Also on Saturday, but in America, undefeated Rosalinda Rodriguez meets Edina Kiss in a bantamweight clash in Tampa, Florida.
Etsuko Tada in Korea
WBO minimumweight world titlist Etsuko Tada of Japan finally defends against Vietnam’s Thu Thu Nguyen on Saturday in South Korea.
This match was supposed to occur early last spring but the Covid-19 pandemic forced several cancellations. At one point Tada was twice scheduled to fight Seniesa Estrada in defense of the WBO title but Nguyen was the mandatory and would not step aside.
Seniesa Estrada instead fought Anabel Ortiz and defeating her for the WBA minimumweight title in March. Then, she fought Japan’s Tsunami Tenkai for the WBO light flyweight world title and won by decision in Los Angeles this past July.
Finally, Tada gets her day in the boxing ring but the pandemic situation in Vietnam and Japan has moved this fight to South Korea.
More Fight News
Argentina
Carla Merino (5-2) beat Sandra Villarruel (1-3-1) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Oct. 16. The flyweight bout was held in Cordoba.
Maria Baumstarh (3-6-1) defeated Andrea Sanchez (8-3-1) by technical knockout in the second round on Saturday Oct. 16. The light flyweight bout was held at Santa Fe.
Lucrecia Manzur (2-0) beat Maria Nieva (2-2) by decision after four rounds on Friday Oct. 15. The super featherweight bout was held at Chubut.
On Saturday Oct. 23, super featherweights Karen Carabajal (17-0) and Cintia Castillo (10-8) meet 10 rounds for the Argentine title at Buenos Aires.
On Saturday Oct. 23, flyweights Ayelen Granadino (6-1-3) and Debora Gomez (7-6-1) meet 10 rounds for the vacant South America title at Neuquen.
On Saturday Oct. 23, bantamweights Maria Rivera (11-5-3) and Natalia Alderete (3-4) meet six rounds at Buenos Aires. Also, super lightweights Aldana Pons (0-0) and Lourdes Grand (0-0) meet four rounds.
Australia
On Saturday Oct. 23, bantamweights Shannon O’Connell (21-6-1) and Taylah Robertson (3-0) meet 10 rounds for the British Commonwealth title at Queensland.
Colombia
On Friday Oct. 22, super flyweights Clara Lescurat (3-0) and Kimberlin Reina (3-4) meet four rounds at Barranquilla. Also, super bantamweights Paulina Angel (3-1) and Arlis Tapias (1-1-1) meet four rounds.
France
On Thursday Oct. 21, lightweights Emma Gongora (0-2) and Eva Debacker (2-0) meet eight rounds at Marseille for the French title.
Ghana
On Friday Oct. 22, super middleweights Zainab Towolawi (0-0) and Christianne Fahey (0-0) meet four rounds at Accra.
Italy
Amy Andrews (2-0) defeated Vanesa Caballero (4-11-3) by decision after six rounds on Friday Oct. 15. The featherweight fight was held in Roma.
Kenya
On Wednesday Oct. 20, super featherweights Consolata Musanga (8-5-3) and Jane Kavulani (18-14-4) meet six rounds at Nairobi.
Mexico
Yesenia Gomez (19-5-3) won by unanimous decision after eight rounds versus Itzayana Cruz (6-8) on Saturday Oct. 16. The light flyweight bout was held at Cancun.
On Saturday Oct. 23, lightweights Diana Estrada (1-0) and Glenda Guerrero (0-1) meet four rounds at Tijuana.
Russia
Fatima Dudieva (11-0) defeated Soledad Macedo (17-16-2) by decision after eight rounds on Friday Oct. 15. The bantamweight fight was held at Kazan.
South Africa
On Sunday Oct. 24, super lightweights Hedda Wolmarans (6-0) and Chiedza Homakoma (5-1-2) meet 10 rounds at Johannesburg.
South Korea
On Saturday Oct. 23, minimum weights Etsuko Tada (20-3-3) and Thi Thu Nguyen (4-0) meet 10 rounds for the WBO world title at Ansan.
Ukraine
Dilara Yucel (9-0) knocked out Zeynep Demirtas (0-0) in the first round on Thursiday Oct. 14. The welterweight bout was held at Kiev. Also, super flyweight Songul Kucuktas (2-0) knocked out Yeliz Sahin (0-1) in the third round; and super bantamweight Anastasia Kovalchuk (5-0) beat Natalia Terentiieva (0-1-1) by decision.
United Kingdom
Vicky Wilkinson (1-0) won by decision after four rounds versus Beccy Ferguson (0-2) on Sunday October 17. The lightweight match was held in Birmingham, England.
Savannah Marshall (11-0) won by technical knockout over Lolita Muzeya (16-1) in the second round on Saturday Oct. 16. The WBO middleweight world title fight was held at Newcastle, England. Also, welterweight Kirstie Bavington (5-2-2) defeated April Hunter (4-1) by decision after six rounds; plus super welterweight Georgia O’Connor (1-0) beat Ester Konecna (1-10-1) by decision after six rounds.
On Friday Oct. 22, light flyweights Gemma Ruegg (0-0) and Claudia Ferenczi (20-83-8) meet six rounds at Southampton.
On Saturday Oct. 23, super bantamweights Carly Skelly (3-0-1) and Ellen Simwaka (8-5-2) meet 10 rounds for the British Commonwealth title at Liverpool, England.
USA
Kayla Williams (1-5-1) knocked out Lissete Russell (0-1) in the second round on Saturday Oct. 16. The light heavyweight fight took place at Gadsden, Alabama.
Maryguenn Vellinga (3-1-2) beat Simona Sarpa (0-1) by technical knockout in the second round on Saturday Oct. 16. The flyweight bout took place at Clearwater, Florida.
On Saturday Oct. 23, bantamweights Rosalinda Rodriguez (12-0) and Edina Kiss (15-15) meet eight rounds at Tampa, Florida. Also, middleweights Logan Holler (9-1-1) and Sonya Dreiling (4-1) meet six rounds.
On Saturday Oct. 23, heavyweights Princess Hairston (1-1-1) and Porsha Hines (0-1) meet four three-minute rounds at Gretna, Virginia.
Venezuela
Debora Rengifo (15-8-1) knocked out Deysi Hernandez (2-8) in the fourth round on Saturday Oct. 16. The light flyweight fight took place at Carrizal.
(Photo by Sky Sports)