French-based Algerian Idaas Redjdal delivered on the biggest night of his career, when he went into enemy territory, the home-town of opponent Youssouf Doumbia, to win the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) All Africa Middleweight title on Saturday night, November 17.
At the Salle Jean Blot in Courbevoie, France, Redjdal, now 9-1-1 (0), scored a split decision over Doumbia, originating from the Ivory Coast, and boxed well from the outside, moving out of range and using combinations on his charging foe.
Doumbia, 11-25-5 (1), had his moments, and even appeared to hurt Redjdal on a few occasions, but after ten rounds of action judges Jean-Louis Legland and Christophe Hembert scored the fight 97-94 and 96-94 for Redjdal, while judge Ali Oubaali had Doumbia ahead 96-95.
In Bad Muenstereifel, Germany, also on Saturday, local man Benjamin Blindert secured the vacant WBF Eurasia Super Middleweight title when he scored a fifth round technical knockout of Finland´s Teemu Tuominen at the Heinrich-Gerlach-Halle.
It was a competitive, but at times dirty, fight, and everything was still up for grabs, despite Blindert being ahead on all scorecards, when Tuominen badly injured his right elbow in round four. He consequently decided to retire after the fourth, and the official time of stoppage was recorded as 0:01 of round five.
New WBF Eurasia Super Middleweight Champion Benjamin “Benny” Blindert, 32 years old but only a pro for two years, improved his professional record to 9-0 (8). Teemu Tuominen (35) travels back north with a 10-5 (6) ledger.
