Jessica McCaskill vs Kandi Wyatt in Las Vegas and Much More Fight News
By David A. Avila
Undisputed welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill returns to action immediately after signing a promotional contract with Matchroom Boxing and several other American females too in different cards.
First, McCaskill (10-2) defends the WBA, WBO, WBC and IBF world titles against last-minute replacement Kandi Wyatt (10-3) on Saturday Dec. 4, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing fight card
McCaskill became one of the top female fighters pound-for-pound for her repeated victories over longtime champion Cecilia Braekhus in back-to-back fights. Now, the Chicago fighter has full claim to undisputed status.
She is a good one.
At first, her planned foe was scheduled to be Argentina’s Victoria Bustos but the former lightweight world titlist who moved up in weight had problems getting into the USA. Possibly vaccination concerns. Now, Wyatt, an American, has accepted the fight.
Wyatt has experience fighting world titlists and seeks to finally crack the top. It’s a lofty goal but that’s the world of prizefighting.
Facing the challenger is one of the few undisputed world titlists in boxing today. It’s been a crazy and rewarding road for McCaskill who challenged Katie Taylor four years ago in a loss, but showed mettle in accepting the fight and giving the Irish fighter’s first competitive pro fight.
Then, McCaskill upset Erica Farias and defeated another Argentine Anahi Sanchez and again beating Farias in three consecutive fights. It gained her two super lightweight world titles. It also put her on Braekhus hit list and the two met in Oklahoma where McCaskill overwhelmed the Norwegian fighter. At the time, many saw Braekhus as the best fighter pound for pound.
Many were not convinced by McCaskill’s initial victory over Braekhus so they did it again. It was even easier the second time for the Chicago fighter and she gained a firm grip on the world championship.
This will be McCaskill’s second defense. It’s her first appearance on a Las Vegas fight card too. She’s worth watching in-person.
Sunday in L.A.
This week it was announced former world titlist Ava Knight will fight Indeya Smith at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday Dec. 5. Its part of the Gervonta “Tank” Davis versus Isaac Cruz lightweight world title fight card by Mayweather Promotions. Showtime pay-per-view will televise.
Knight, 33, formerly held the flyweight world title and at one-time was one of the most feared female fighters in the world. But during her most active period, women’s boxing in America was almost dead. So, she traveled to Mexico and fought there.
After she was let go by the Mexican promoter Knight has fought sporadically, but no one can deny she has the talent to crash any flyweight world champion’s dreams. It’s been two years since her last fight. She will be participating in an eight-round super flyweight match against Smith.
Also on the same card, Mia Ellis who trains in the same gym as Tank Davis, will be fighting Elizabeth Tuani in a lightweight bout set for four rounds.
Raquel Miller
Middleweight contender Raquel Miller meets in a six-round main event at the OC Hangar in Costa Mesa, California on Thursday Dec. 3. Engelbrecht Promotions stages the fight card.
Miller, who held an interim super welterweight title, has been inactive for two years and returns to action against Sonya Dreiling a solid fighter out of Alabama. It’s the main event on the Englebrecht card. The doors open at 6 p.m.
Patricia Berghult
Sweden’s Patricia Berghult defeated Olivia Belkacem by unanimous decision on Saturday to add the WBC super welterweight title to her collection. She already holds the IBO super welterweight title that she won by beating Hannah Rankin.
Ironically, Berghult now adds the title vacated by stablemate Claressa Shields who is moving back up to middleweight. Berghult, Shields and Rankin are all managed by Mark Taffet.
Claressa
Speaking of Claressa Shields, her middleweight fight with Ema Kozin has been moved from Dec. 11 to Jan. 29, 2022 and will be shown on Sky Sports. The co-main event was canceled due to an injury to one of the participants.
Shields, holds all of the middleweight world titles and Kozin is undefeated and is a southpaw based in Slovenia. The middleweight showdown takes place in Cardiff, Wales.
More Fight News
Argentina
Lucrecia Belen (2-1) beat Erica Alvarez (2-2) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Nov. 27. The featherweight fight was held at Cordoba.
Leonela Yudica (17-0-3) defeated Isabel Millan (29-8-1) by unanimous decision on Friday Nov. 26. The IBF flyweight world title fight took place at San Juan. Also, Maria Roman (16-5-1) won by unanimous decision over Daniela Rivero (8-3) to retain the IBF bantamweight world title.
Micaela Lujan (10-1-1) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds against Nataly Delgado (8-4-1) on Friday Nov. 26. The IBF super flyweight world title fight was held at San Luis. Also, super featherweight Brenda Carabajal (17-5-1) beat Lilian Silva (4-11-1) by decision after six rounds.
On Friday Dec. 3, super bantamweights Juliana Basualdo (5-2) and Vanesa Taborda (10-12-3) meet at Cordoba for the Argentine title.
Australia
On Saturday Dec. 4, super flyweights Nicila Costello (2-0) and Jasmin Parr (0-0) meet eight rounds at Eatons Hill, Queensland for the Australian title.
On Saturday Dec. 4, bantamweights Taylah Robertson (3-1) and Kylie Fullmer (7-1) meet eight rounds at Fortitude Valley, Queensland for the Australian title.
Colombia
Paula Buelvas (1-0) beat Bright Piscal (0-0) to win by unanimous decision after four rounds on Sunday Nov. 28. The super lightweight bout took place at Tumaco.
Germany
Phannarai Netisri (10-0) defeated Nikola Hubalkova (1-1) by decision after six rounds on Sunday Nov. 28. The super bantamweight bout was held at Bayern.
Michelle Klich (4-0) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds against Oksana Romanova (10-32-1) on Friday Nov. 26. The bantamweight fight was held in Berlin.
On Friday Dec. 3, super middleweights Christina Hammer (26-1) and Daniele Bastieri (3-1) meet eight rounds at Ilsenburg.
On Saturday Dec. 4, featherweights Elina Tessen (24-2) and Eftychia Kathopouli (4-2) meet 10 rounds for the WBF title at Nordrhein-Westfalen.
India
On Sunday Dec. 5, light flyweights Manideepa Mondal (0-0) and Hemangi Parab (0-0) meet four rounds at Pune.
Italy
Stephanie Silva (5-0) won by decision after six rounds versus Snezana Siljkovic (3-13-3) on Sunday Nov. 28. The super flyweight match was held at Sicilia. Also, Giuseppina Di Stefano (5-0-1) defeated Dragana Golic (0-5) by decision after six rounds in a super flyweight bout; and super lightweight Mahjouba Oubtil (2-0) won by decision after six rounds against Aleksandra Ivanovic (0-6-1).
Japan
On Thursday Dec. 2, flyweights Chaoz Minowa (6-3) and Yumemi Ikemoto (7-1) meet eight rounds for OPBF title at Tokyo.
Malawi
Chimwemwe Banda (3-2) defeated Fatima Mbeka by technical knockout in the third round on Saturday Nov. 27. The super bantamweight fight took place at Lilongwe.
Mexico
Erika Cruz (14-1) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Melissa Esquivel (12-2-1) on Friday Nov. 26. The WBA featherweight world title fight took place at Puerto Vallarta. It was Cruz first world title defense.
On Saturday Dec. 4, atomweights Montserrat Alarcon (16-4-2) and Silvia Torres (20-2-2) meet 10 rounds for the WBA world title at Guanajuato. This is Alarcon’s third defense.
Panama
On Friday Dec. 3, super flyweights Luciana Ascanio (2-0-1) and Laura Wollenman (0-1) meet four rounds at Panama City.
South Africa
On Saturday Dec. 4, bantamweights Sharadene Fortuin (12-1-1) and Melissa Miller (5-11-3) meet 10 rounds for the South African title at Durban. All female fight card also pits super bantamweights Gabisile Tshabalala (10-4-1) vs Asandiswa Nxokwana (6-4-2; Bathabile Ziqubu (2-1) vs Nosiacwase Dube (0-2-1); Monalisa Takane (3-0) vs Nomusa Ngema (1-0); super featherweights Raider Muleba (4-12-1) vs Ntomboqala Tolashe (4-2) meet six rounds; cruiserweights Lillian Molala (2-9-2) and Razel Mohammed (0-0-2) meet four three-minute rounds; and flyweights Owethu Rula (0-2) and Emihle Ntunja (1-1) meet four rounds.
Sweden
Patricia Berghult (15-0) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Olivia Belkacem (10-3) on Saturday Nov. 27. The WBC super welterweight world title fight was held at Jonkoping. Also, a lightweight bout saw Valgerdur Gudstensdottir (5-2) beat Claire Sammut (4-8) by decision after six rounds.
Tanzania
On Friday Dec. 3, flyweights Halima Vunjabei (10-7-1) and Lulu Kayage (7-6-3) meet eight rounds at Dar es Salaam.
On Saturday Dec. 4, bantamweights Zawadi Kutaka (1-0) and Zainabu Adamu (0-0) meet four three-minute rounds at Dar es Salaam.
Ukraine
Diana Starkova (2-0-1) knocked out Alina Kiselova (0-2) in the first round on Friday Nov.26. The super lightweight contest was held at Kharkiv.
United Kingdom
Lauren Parker (5-1-1) knocked out Ivanka Ivanova (3-17-3) in the second round on Friday Nov. 26. The bantamweight fight took place at Sheffield, England. Also, super bantamweight Tysie Gallagher (2-0) beat Gemma Ruegg (1-1) by decision after six rounds; and light flyweight Kristina O’Hara (1-0) beat Maira Loyola (0-2-1) by decision after four rounds.
Chloe Watson (1-0) won by decision after four rounds versus Judit Hachbold (5-13) on Friday Nov. 26. The flyweight bout was held at London.
On Saturday Dec. 4, featherweights Sangeeta Birdi (1-2) and Chelsey Arnell (0-0-1) meet four rounds at London.
USA
Shelly Vincent (27-2) won by unanimous decision after eight rounds over Shelly Barnett (5-6-2) on Saturday Nov. 27. The featherweight contest was held in Springfield, Mass. Also, Stevie Jane Coleman (2-1) beat LeAnn O’Malley (1-1) by decision after four rounds in a welterweight bout.
Christina Cruz (2-0) beat Maryguenn Vellinga (3-2-2) by decision after six rounds on Saturday Nov. 27. The flyweight contest was held at New York City. Also, Ramla Ali (4-0) defeated Isela Vera (1-1) by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight clash.
On Thursday Dec. 2, middleweights Raquel Miller (10-0) and Sonya Dreiling (4-1) meet six rounds at Costa Mesa, California.
On Saturday Dec. 4, welterweights Jessica McCaskill (10-2) and Kandi Wyatt (10-3) meet 10 rounds at Las Vegas, Nevada for the undisputed welterweight world championship.
On Saturday Dec. 4, lightweights Andrea Wright (1-1) and Alicia Culbertson (0-0) meet four rounds at Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Venezuela
Debora Rengifo (16-8-1) knocked out Yoselin Fernandez (10-1) in the eighth round on Saturday Nov. 27. The Venezuelan flyweight title fight was held at Turmero. Also, Estefania Matute (3-18) won by majority decision after four rounds against Maria Milano (12-3-1) in a light flyweight bout.
(Photo by Sky Sports)