Albania’s proud WBF world middleweight champion Kreshnik Qato shocked everyone in attendance on Friday (Dec. 3) in Prague, the “Golden City” of the Czech Republic, with an almost passive performance which cost him his title against unheralded Tanzanian challenger Karama Nyilawila.
Defending his WBF crown for the fourth time, Qato got off to his usual slow start, but this time, as round after round passed by, never really got untracked. In contrast, his African challenger simply seemed to want it more and continuously outworked him. While Nyilawila could not match Qato in terms of skill, his desire alone allowed him to always show more activity.
In the end, Karama was closer to scoring a knockdown than “The Eagle” Qato, who so desperately needed it. After 12 rounds, all three judges went for the new World Boxing Federation champion by scores of 116:112, 117:111 and 118:110.
One of the judges was former FIFA football referee Bernd Heynemann of Germany, who scored his first world boxing championship fight.
The next night (Dec. 4), in Reutlingen, Germany, hometown hero Bjoern Blaschke celebrated winning the vacant WBF International cruiserweight title, but was made to battle all the way by Jonathan Pasi. After 10 hotly contested rounds, the split decision went Blaschke’s way by scores of 100:93, 99:94 against a 98:97 for Pasi.
