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The World Boxing Federation is
set to take France by storm this
month with a total of four WBF
championship fights taking place
in June in the Grande Nation’s
territory. While the highlight
doubtlessly is the participation
of female star Ann Sophie Mathis
in a world title fight, the WBF
festival actually starts with an
Intercontinental championship on
June 11 in Rumilly near the
Swiss border.
There, top-class Sebastien
Madani meets Bolivia’s Franklin
Mamani for the vacant
Intercontinental crown at
superwelterweight. It is a fight
worth watching because between
them, they have just a single
career loss! The 22-year-old
Mamani is undefeated in a
10-fight career at 9-0-1 (6) and
Madani, eight years older at 30,
is 30-1 (9) – and much more
experienced. His sole pro
setback came early in his career
and he has not seen defeat in
nine years, along the way
winning and defending three
times the French title as well
as grabbing the EBA European
belt. It promises to be a real
cracker!
Next up in Pennes Mirabeau, near
Marseille, on June 23, Ann
Sophie Mathis puts her
outstanding record of 23-1 (20)
on the line against undefeated
compatriot Olivia Boudouma, 8-0
(1) to find a new WBF womens
world welterweight champion
after South African Noni Tenge
vacated.
Mathis, just like Madani,
suffered her only defeat early
(in her 2nd pro
fight) and since then has cut a
swath through the female
lightwelterweight ranks in
winning the European plus three
world titles in that division.
Boudouma, who has boxed all her
career in Switzerland, on paper
seems up against it.
On the same show, Nadjib
Mohammedi meets George
Tevdorashvili of Georgia for the
vacant WBF Intercontinental
lightheavyweight belt. The
former French and European Union
champion most recently lost only
narrowly to WBO world champion
Nathan Cleverly – after
accepting the assignment on just
a few days notice. His excellent
record of 23-2 (12) marks
Mohammedi the favourite, but the
current Georgian champion is not
to be dismissed lightly.
Tevdorashvili went 12 rounds
before, never was stopped and
last year took 26-1 Vitaly Rusal
to a split decision in the
former’s homecountry of Ukraine.
Finally, the show closer comes
on June 30 in Nice when the WBF
International middleweight title
is on the line in what just the
same shapes up as an
electrifying clash. Portugese
warrior Vitor Sa, 24-5 (4), a
former WBF world title
challenger, steps up against
Denis Saioni, 34-5 (14). While
both fighters are not known as
punchers, they are high-volume
performers and at ages 38 (Sa)
and 36 (Saioni) respectively,
simply anything can happen. |
