WLODARCZYK WINS AGAIN
But injury could slow down 40-yearold’s hopes, writes Eric Armit
NOVEMBER 5 ROME, ITALY
Italian MATTEO SIGNANI, 31-5-3 (11), decisioned Spaniard RUBEN DIAZ, 26-3-2 (17), to retain the European middleweight title. The fight had a slow start with Signani just doing enough to gather a small lead and a clash of heads in the sixth saw Diaz cut over his left eye. The cut seemed to disturb Diaz and he lost some of his fire, shaken by an uppercut in the ninth. Knowing he must be behind, Diaz put in a big effort over the last three rounds but Signani boxed cleverly and was never in any real trouble. Scores 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 for Signani. MAURO FORTE, 16-0-2 (6), retained the EU featherweight title with a draw against FRANCESCO GRANDELLI 15-1-2 (3). There were plenty of give-and-take exchanges, with Grandelli rocking Forte in the 10th and looking to have done enough to take the decision but the judges scored it 116-113 Forte, 115-114 Grandelli and 114-114. Hopefully Grandelli will get a return fight. Welsh welterweight TONY DIXON, 13-3 (3), wiped out local boxer FRANCESCO
RUSSO, 10-2 (8), in just 63 seconds. A right to the head put Russo down and out.
PILAR, ARGENTINA
Cruiserweight YAMIL PERALTA, 12-0 (6), handed out a hammering to a brave CESAR REYNOSA, 17-17-4 (8), who suffered five knockdowns and a standing count. Double Olympian Peralta scored heavily over the first three rounds and then things became really painful for Reynosa. Peralta scored a knockdown in the fourth and had Reynosa reeling on the ropes in the fifth when the referee gave Reynosa a standing count. A left to the body forced Reynosa to the canvas in the sixth and the same punch sent Reynosa to the floor again in both the seventh and eighth rounds. Reynosa’s left eye was almost shut and, although he managed to get through the ninth without taking a count when a body punch sent him down again in the tenth, the fight was finally stopped. Brave Reynosa suffers his seventh loss inside schedule. FLORENCIA JUAREZ, 8-1 (1), won the vacant South American Female title with comprehensive victory over
NATALIA ALDERETE, 3-5 (1). Juarez had Alderete reeling badly in the third but the referee stopped the action to give Alderete a standing count. Alderete survived the crisis but never came close to winning a round. Scores 100-89 twice and 100-89 ½.
NOVEMBER 6 NOWY S Ą CZ, POLAND
Former cruiserweight title holder KRZYSZTOF WLODARCZYK, 60-4-1 (40), registered his 60th victory as Argentinian MAXIMILIANO GOMEZ, 29-6 (13), bowed out after four rounds. Wlodarczyk shook Gomez in the first but then injured his right arm in the second. Despite that, he floored Gomez with a left hook to the head in the third and dropped him again in the fourth with a left hook to the body. Gomez did not come out for the fifth. The injury may keep Wlodarczyk out of action for a while and, at 40, time is pressing as he is hoping for domestic fights against Artur Szpilka and unbeaten Lukasz Rozanski. Unbeaten middleweight KAMIL GARDZIELIK, 13-0 (3), outpointed Argentinian NICOLAS PALACIOS, 12-9-1 (1). Gardzielik was in his first 10-round fight and boxed well early. Problems came in the second half of the fight when a punch from Palacios started a swelling under Gardzielik’s right eye. Palacios began to chip away at Gardzielik’s lead as the swelling almost closed Gardzielik eye but the Pole held out to the final bell to win on scores of 96-94 twice and 98-92.
WANGEN IM ALLGÄU, GERMANY
Ukrainian super lightweight ARAM FANILAN, 22-1 (4), took a unanimous decision over Germany’s TIMO SCHWARZKOPF, 20-5 (12). Fanilan floored Schwarzkopf in the second and was a clear winner with the scores being narrowed when a slip to the canvas in the ninth by Fanilan was ruled a knockdown by the referee. The judges gave it to Fanilan 96-92, 96-93 and 95-93. At light heavyweight ARAM ZOGAJ, 8-0 (5), won the vacant German title by outpointing MICHAL RYBA, 7-8 (6), with the judges favouring Zogaj on scores of 96-94 twice, and 97-93.
TOKYO, JAPAN
SHOKHICHI IWATA, 6-0 (4), remained unbeaten and won the vacant Japanese light-flyweight title with a stoppage of RIKITO SHIBA, 5-2 (3). Despite suffering a cut over his left eye in the first, Iwata’s harder punching gave him the edge. He floored Shiba in the sixth with a right hook and punished him heavily over the seventh and eighth. He closed out the fight in the ninth with a savage attack that had Shiba in deep trouble and the fight was stopped. Iwata beat Kosei Tanaka and Takuma Inoue before turning pro.