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Pre-fight favourite Meriton
Karaxha defeated late
substitute, hard-nosed and game
Danish co-challenger Mikkel
Nielsen to win the vacant World
Boxing Federation (WBF) World
Welterweight title on Friday
night, November 1, in Izegem,
Belgium.
Albanian-born Belgian Karaxha,
the WBF International Champion
going in, appeared to be doing a
bit more in most rounds, while
Nielsen, who took the fight on
not much more than a weeks
notice when Steve Jamoye pulled
out, did his best to keep up.
Karaxha kept the centre of the
ring well, working effectively
to the body, and as Nielsen had
a point deducted in round eight
for being careless with his
head, it became clear that the
Dane needed a knockout to pull
off the upset as the fight
entered the championship rounds.
Nielsen amazingly finished best
as Karaxha appeared to tire, and
had his best round in the
twelfth. But it was too little
too late, as judges Mohamed
Hireche, Hugues Hellebaut and
Marnix De Vogelaere all scored
it 116-111 for the home-man.
The new WBF World Welterweight
Champion improved his
professional record to 26-5-2
(9). Nielsen, who can be very
proud of his effort, drops to
8-2 (3). The fight headlined
“Izegem Boksgala”, promoted by
Rudy Compernol.
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