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Two Intercontinental
championships will be contested
on Dec. 10, but on different
shows in different European
countries. Both, however, are
exiting match-ups that for the
winner could lead to shots at
WBF world titles in their
respective divisions.
When classy Yvan Mendy steps in
the ring to defend his
Intercontinental light
welterweight title, he’d better
not take his opponent lightly.
Sam Rukundo may have lost his
last two fights, but the
Uppsala, Sweden based Ugandan is
by no means a push over.
On the
contrary, his record of 15 wins
(6 inside), 1 draw and those 2
losses has been compiled during
a career where no gifts were
rendered and home town
protection was a strange word.
Since he made his debut in
London’s Café Royal six years
ago, “Rocky” Rukundo appeared no
less than seven times of his
first nine fights in the British
capital. When he licked Stuart
Green quite convincingly in his
last fight on the banks of the
Thames, he already had won the
British Masters lightweight
title and soon the African
Boxing Union Championship would
follow.
A logical step would be the
Commonwealth lightweight title,
but his aim in February this
year was cut short by a close
points loss in the final
eliminator against Gary
Buckland. Weight making (Rukundo made
the weight in his 3rd
attempt) has been a spoil-sport.
Last May he lost a very close
verdict (two judges had him one
point down) in Kiev, where he
faced local Valentin Kuts, a
southpaw of note, in another
12-rounder.
Mendy, with a fine record of 20
wins, with 10 early wins and
just 1 loss, a good draw in his
hometown of Pont-Saint-Maxence
and the title holder since last
June, by virtue of a
comprehensive points win against
seasoned and durable Peter
McDonagh, is a warned man. The
25-year-old Frenchman knows for
another step forward on the
fistic ladder, he needs to deal
with these obstacles in an
indisputable fashion.
Meanwhile in Dublin, Ireland on
the same night, Anthony
Fitzgerald and Kevin Hammond
will settle the vacant WBF
Intercontinental middleweight
crown in another scheduled
12-rounder on a Dolphil
Promotions show. |
