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On Friday night, September 8,
World Boxing Federation (WBF)
World Middleweight Champion
Diego Diaz Gallardo defended his
title for the first time against
Brazilian Felipe Santos Pedroso
at the Estadio Ciudad de
Santiago del Estero, in his
home-town of Santiago del
Estero, Argentina.
Having prepared diligently with
a tough training-camp in Los
Angeles, Diaz Gallardo came out
determined and tried to impose
his will on Pedroso from the
start, often forcing him on the
back-foot and throwing hard
shots. Especially the over-hand
right was effective for the
defending champion.
Pedros had some good moments
where he had Diaz Gallardo with
his back on the ropes, but the
home-man always came back strong
to take control. It was the
over-hand right which made the
big difference in round eight,
as Diaz Gallardo connected with
a hard one that staggered
Pedroso.
Diaz Gallardo followed up and
had Pedroso in major problems
throughout the remainder of the
round, but the Brazilian was
tough and made it to the end. He
also stood up to start round
nine, but referee Martin
Carnevale Sosa quickly waived it
off when he saw Pedrosa was
still very unsteady on his feet.
The fight televised in Argentina
by TNT Sports and broadcast
world-wide via free web-stream,
Diaz Gallardo (37) improved his
professional ledger to 22-5-1
(13). 30-year-old Santos Pedroso
travels back to Sao Jose dos
Pinhas at 13-3 (11).
A few hours earlier on Friday
evening, at the Kagios Memorial
and Recreation Centre in
Johannesburg, South Africa, WBF
Womens World Super Welterweight
Champion Noni Tenge fended off
the challenge of game compatriot
Mapule Ngubane.
Tenge, who took her record to
18-1-1 (10), was a step ahead of
South African Middleweight
champion Ngubane, now 6-5-3 (1),
and simply the better technician
as she boxed her way to a
unanimous decision. In round
eight she scored a flash
knock-down with a left hook, but
Ngubane had no problems beating
the count of referee Siya
Vabaza.
Judges Phumeza Zinakile and
Sylvia Mokaila both scored the
fight 97-92, while judge
Boitumelo Madiba had it a bit
wider at 98-91.
On the same show, former WBF
Womens World Super Bantamweight
Champion Unathi Myekeni captured
the vacant WBF World
Featherweight title when she
beat late substitute, and
reigning WBF International
Champion Asandiswa Nxukwena
almost exactly seven years
removed from her first world
title-win.
This was a rematch of a fight
for the South African national
title earlier this year, where
Nxukwena stopped Myekeni in nine
rounds. Myekeni was originally
scheduled to fight Ruth Chisale,
but the Malawian was unable to
make the weight, and Nxukwena
stepped in on a few days notice.
The world title was left vacant
when former champion Angelique
Duchemin tragically died from a
heat-attack during a
training-session in late August,
and the French boxer was
appropriately honoured with a
minute of silence in
Johannesburg.
Myekeni had the upper hand this
time, and, knowing that Nxukwena
had the tools to beat her, she
boxed well from start to finish
to win a clear unanimous
decision by scores of 98-92
(Namhla Tuyaluba), 98-92 (Siya
Vabaza) and 97-93 (Sylvia
Mokaila). Referee was Phumeza
Zinakile.
Unathi “Showtime” Myekeni is now
11-4-1 (5), and Nxukwena, who
had not lost since her pro
debut, drops to 6-2-1 (3). The
WBF World Championship
double-header, billed as “Women
Only”, was promoted by 2015 WBF
Promoter of the Year Mbali
Zantsi.
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