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There was no shortage of drama
on Friday night, February 22,
when two World Boxing Federation
(WBF) championship fights
headlined shows in Calais,
France and Cape Town, South
Africa respectively.
At the Salle Calypso in Calais,
home-town favourite Ali Yammouni
won his second WBF belt in two
weight classes, capturing the
vacant Intercontinental Super
Welterweight title with a third
round stoppage of compatriot
Romain Tilliot.
A former WBF International
Middleweight Champion, Yammouni
floored Tilliot in the second
round with a perfect right hand,
a punch that caused the visitors
left eye to close almost
instantly. Tilliot beat the
count, but soon realised he
would not last long with one
eye, and went all out trying to
score a knockout.
The fight quickly turned into a
brawl, but when the eye had
completely shut in round three,
referee Mohamed Hireche had no
choice but to wave the fight
off, declaring Yammouni, now
12-6 (4), the winner by
technical knockout.
Thembani “Baby Jake” Mbangatha,
the WBF All Africa Featherweight
Champion, made a successful
first defense of his title in
front of a packed crowd at the
Wynberg Military Base in Cape
Town, scoring a unanimous
decision over his best opponent
to date in Doctor Ntsele.
When Mbangatha won the WBF title
he did so despite dislocating
his shoulder and boxing several
rounds with one arm. Amazingly
the same thing happened against
Ntsele, the only difference
being that this time the
shoulder popped back in
immediately.
Although many rounds in the
high-paced encounter were close,
Mbangatha kept his nose ahead
through a better and more
effective work-rate. Ntsele was
always in the fight and gave his
young foe a stern test, but when
he tried to take advantage of
Mbangatha´s injury by further
upping the pace, it was too
late.
Judges Elroy Marshall and Eddie
Marshall both scored the fight
97-93, and Judge Fred Van der
Ross had it 99-91. Mbangatha
improved his undefeated record
to 10-0 (4), while Ntsele, a
former WBF Intercontinental and
All Africa titlist, drops to
22-12-1 (14).
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