Another Look at Reis and Camara and More

Another Look at Reis and Camara and More Clash of the Titans

 

By David A. Avila

When Kali Reis and Jessica Camara concluded their epic battle, it continued yet another weekend of back-to-back-to-back sensational championship fights. Furthermore, all were televised, streamed and available for fans.

In all my decades covering women’s championship fights I cannot remember a similar period with as many world title fights capturing the public.

All are candidates for Fight of the Year.

Reis and Camara entered the prize ring with contrasting styles and left fans mesmerized with their technical prowess and zeal to compete at an elite level. The semi-finals of the super lightweight tournament saw two clash of the titans.

Three weeks ago, England’s Chantelle Cameron and America’s Mary McGee traded blows with neither giving an inch. It was a surprise to the British fighter who needed to resort to plan B to win the fight. McGee was not overrun by furious combinations unleashed on her and simply planted her feet and fired back. It marked the start of a glorious month of high caliber battles.

Next, was America’s Mikaela Mayer and France’s Maiva Hamadouche meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada to determine the victor of the first leg of the super featherweight tournament. From the opening bell these two unloaded with hellish blows on each other for 10 rounds. I’ve never seen any world champion like Hamadouche receive as many blows to the chin with nary a dent. And though pummeled by the taller Mayer, the French fighter simply bore in and fired more and more blows.

Imagine if they had fought three-minute rounds?

Another fight that needed an extra minute per round took place a week later in Anaheim, California where two Mexican flyweights Arely Mucino and Jacky Calvo met. The action started early with Mucino a former four belt world champion opening up with her multiple combinations. Calvo simply deflected the incoming fire and found her remedy in unleashing timely and effective counter left hooks. It changed the momentum and aroused the thousands of fans at the stadium to fever pitch.

In another super featherweight match in England, we saw America’s Alycia Baumgardner fly over to meet the vaunted Terri Harper defend her WBC title after two postponements due to injury. British fans were unaware of what to expect from the American fighter, but they soon discovered her fighting skills and punching power rival any fighter including Harper. Baumgardner simply beat Harper to the punch and rendered her unconscious while standing. If not for the quick reflexes of the referee it could have been worse. Instead, it was simply a knockout win for Baumgardner who thrust herself in the middle of the super featherweight tournament. All that remain are Mayer, Baumgardner, and Korea’s Hyun Mi Choi.

Then, this last weekend, Reis and Camara performed their magic. I’ve never seen a month of women’s prizefighting that rivaled these past three weeks. It was high level battles in consecutive weeks. And it’s not over.

 

Mexico Calling

Uncrowned champion Kenia Enriquez meets Gabriela Sanchez in the main event this Friday Nov. 26, in Tijuana, Mexico. It’s a large fight card and the light flyweight fighter will be the main event. It will be streamed live on Bluemoonfight.TV.

On the same day, WBA featherweight titlist Erika Cruz defends against Melissa Esquivel in Puerto Vallarta. DAZN will stream the fight live.

 

Big Six  

In successive weeks in December, we have six world champions reloaded and ready to defend.

Undisputed welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill was suddenly added to a fight card in Las Vegas that takes place on Dec. 5. The Chicago-based fighter meets Victoria Bustos. DAZN will stream the fight card.

On December 11, both Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields compete in separate fight cards in the United Kingdom.

Ireland’s Taylor, the undisputed lightweight world champion faces Firuza Sharipova in Liverpool, England. DAZN will stream the title match live.

On the same day, Shields, the undisputed super welterweight and middleweight world champion returns to middleweight and meets Ema Kozin in Cardiff, Wales. The title fight will be shown on FITE.TV pay-per-view.

A week later on Dec. 18, seven-division world titlist Amanda Serrano meets lightweight contender Miriam Gutierrez in Tampa, Florida USA. Showtime pay-per-view will televise.

On the same day, Dec. 18, two more world champions compete as Seniesa Estrada defends the light flyweight title against Guatemala’s Maria Santizo in San Antonio, Texas USA. On the same card Marlen Esparza defends the WBC flyweight title against Anabel Ortiz. DAZN will stream both fights live.

It’s an incredible array of action coming up.

Can they all continue the level of fighting that we just saw with Reis and Camara?

If only they were all three-minute rounds.

 

More Fight News

Argentina

Debora Dionicius (32-3) defeated Marcela Acuna (50-8-2) in a battle between Argentine champions on Saturday Nov. 20. The featherweight title eliminator took place at Buenos Aires.

Natalia Alderete (4-5) beat Estrella Valverde (18-10-2) by technical decision after five rounds on Friday Nov. 19. The bantamweight fight was stopped early due to a bad cut over Valverde’s eye at Buenos Aires.

On Friday Nov. 26, super flyweights Micaela Lujan (9-1-1) and Nataly Delgado (8-3-1) meet 10 rounds for the IBF world title at Villa Mercedes. Also, featherweights Brenda Carabajal (16-5-1) and Liliana Silva (4-10-1) meet six rounds.

On Saturday Nov. 27, featherweights Lucrecia Belen (1-1) and Erica Gabriela (2-1) meet four rounds at Cordoba.

 

Australia

Jamie Edenden (1-0) defeated Connie Chan (1-2) by unanimous decision after six rounds on Saturday Nov. 20. The super welterweight fight took place at Mansfield, Queensland.

 

France

Segolene Lefebvre (15-0) defeated Mexico’s Paulette Valenzuela (13-2) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Saturday Nov. 20. The vacant WBO super bantamweight world title fight was held at Douai.

Marion Montanari (3-6) won by split decision after eight rounds versus Elsa Hemat (3-5-2) on Saturday Nov. 20. The French super lightweight title fight was held at Grenoble.

 

Germany

Natalie Zimmermann (8-0) won by unanimous decision after six rounds versus Aleksandra Vujovic (4-16-2) on Saturday Nov. 20. The lightweight match took place at Hamburg.

On Friday Nov. 26, bantamweights Michelle Klich (3-0) and Oksana Romanova (10-31-1) meet 10 rounds at Berlin.

 

India

On Wednesday Nov. 24, flyweights Loveleen Thaakur (0-1) and Aastha Krishan (0-0) meet four rounds at Sangrur. Also, light flyweights Khushdeep Kaur (1-0) and Manpreet Kaur (0-0) meet four rounds.

 

Japan

Ayana Miyasaka (3-0) won by split decision after four rounds versus Moemi Inukai (2-1) on Friday Nov. 19. The light flyweight match was held in Tokyo.

On Sunday Nov.28, super bantamweights Chihiro Takagi (0-0) and Ran Higuchi (0-0) meet four rounds at Aichi.

 

Mexico

On Friday Nov. 26, light flyweights Kenia Enriquez (23-1) and Gabriela Saavedra (8-4) meet 10 rounds for a title at Tijuana. Also, featherweights Paola Valenzuela (1-0) and Joseline Rodriguez (0-1-1) meet four rounds. The fight card will be streamed by Bluemoonfight.tv.

On Friday Nov. 26, featherweights Erika Cruz (13-1) and Melissa Esquivel (12-1-1) meet 10 rounds for the WBA world title at Puerto Vallarta. DAZN will stream the fight.

On Saturday Nov. 27, bantamweights Esmeralda Baeza (1-0-1) and Arely Rodriguez (1-4-1) meet four rounds at Guanajuato. Also, super flyweights Alejandra Perez (0-0) and Paola Rodriguez (0-1) meet four rounds.

 

Poland

On Saturday Nov. 27, super bantamweights Barbara Nalepka (2-0) and Hanna Gujwan (0-1) meet three three-minute rounds at Wroclaw.

 

South Africa

On Sunday Nov. 28, lightweights Kholosa Ndobayini (14-10) and Cicilia Pitiseni (1-4-1) meet eight rounds at Gauteng.

 

Spain

Natalia Franchesca (2-1) beat Sheila Martinez (1-3) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Nov. 20. The super bantamweight fight took place in Barcelona.

 

Sweden

Marianne Ahlborg (5-0) won by technical knockout in the second round over Lili Jumali (1-2) on Friday Nov. 19. The super welterweight fight took place at Gothenburg.

On Saturday Nov. 27, super welterweights Patricia Berghult (14-0) and Olivia Belkacem (10-2) meet 10 rounds for the vacant WBC world title at Jonkoping. Also, lightweights Valgerdur Gudstensdottir (4-2) and Claire Sammut (4-7) meet six rounds.

 

Thailand

Mariana Scombatti (1-0) defeated Thidirat Serasee (0-1) by third round technical knockout on Friday Nov. 19. The flyweight bout took place at Bangkok.

Rugnapha Kaewkrachang (14-15-1) won by unanimous decision after six rounds against Arisara Wisetwongsa (0-3) on Friday Nov. 19. The flyweight match was held at Pathum Thani.

 

United Kingdom

Natasha Jonas (10-2-1) defeated Vaida Masiokaite (2-12-4) by decision after six rounds on Saturday Nov. 20. The lightweight fight was held at London, England.

Juliette Horwood (1-0) won by decision after four rounds against Beccy Ferguson (1-3) on Saturday Nov. 20. The super lightweight fight took place in London, England.

Nicole Goldsmith-Ryan (1-1) beat Ruqsana Begum (0-2-1) by decision after four rounds on Friday Nov. 19. The flyweight bout took place in London, England.

Cassidy Todd (1-0) won by decision after six rounds versus Claudia Ferenczi (20-86-8) on Friday Nov. 19. The bantamweight bout took place in Glasgow, Scotland.

On Thursday Nov. 25, flyweights Chloe Watson (0-0) and Judit Hachbold (5-12) meet four rounds in London, England.

 

USA

Kali Reis (19-7-1) won by split decision after 10 rounds against Canada’s Jessica Camara (8-3) on Friday Nov. 19. The WBA, WBO, IBO super lightweight world title fight was held at Manchester, New Hampshire. It was the semi-final of the super lightweight tournament.

On Saturday Nov. 27, featherweights Shelly Vincent (26-2) and Shelly Barnett (5-5-2) meet eight rounds at Springfield, Mass. Also, welterweights Stevie Jane Coleman (1-1) and LeAnn O’Malley (1-0) meet four rounds.

On Saturday Nov. 27, flyweights Christina Cruz (1-0) and Maryguenn Vellinga (3-1-2) meet six rounds at New York City. Also, super bantamweights Ramla Ali (3-0) and Isela Vera (1-0) meet four rounds. DAZN is streaming the fight card.

On Saturday Nov. 27, bantamweights Angelina Hoffschneider (0-4) and Alexa Culp (0-0) meet five rounds at Arlington, Texas.

 

(Photo by Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing)