Cecilia Braekhus and Female Fight News for week of Dec. 11

Female Fight News for week of Dec. 11, 2017 Cecilia Braekhus

 

By David A. Avila

Norway’s Cecilia Braekhus is no stranger to the female boxing world.

Many consider the undisputed welterweight champion one of the three top female prizefighters pound for pound in the world. The other two are American.

After conquering Europe and establishing boxing in her own country, Braekhus looks to conquer other continents with North America as a primary target.

“I would love to fight here,” said Braekhus who visited both Los Angeles and Las Vegas this past weekend on her own. “This would be a dream to fight in Las Vegas. Isn’t this where Layla McCarter trains?”

Talks between K-2 Promotion’s Tom Loeffler and McCarter’s team including Mayweather Promotions are underway. Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza is also involved in the negotiations.

Recently, the IBF organization notified Braekhus that McCarter was designated the number one contender in their welterweight rankings. A decision must be made on when and where the fight will take place between Braekhus who holds the IBF title (among others) and the Las Vegan.

But will the fight take place?

McCarter, who is considered by the true experts to be among the top three female boxers pound for pound along with fellow American Amanda Serrano, has been chasing this fight for a while but obstacles remain.

Braekhus told thePrizefighters.com that though she harbors a strong desire to face McCarter in a battle of pound for pound fighters, finding the proper platform is a major concern.

“I would love to have this fight in Las Vegas in a place like this,” said Braekhus while standing in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino arena on Saturday. “This would be amazing. A fight with McCarter needs to be given the proper promotion.”

Loeffler, who manages K-2 Promotions that also handles middleweight world champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Braekhus, said he has been speaking directly with McCarter’s manager and trainer Luis Tapia among others.

“We’re trying to get this done,” said Loeffler who has spoken with McCarter’s team the past several years about a possible match. “We just spoke recently.”

Tapia said that McCarter recently had a fight planned for December 22 in Mexico. That fight is in limbo until discussions with K-2 and Showtime are concluded regarding Braekhus. It’s a mega fight.

“They (Team Braekhus) have a couple of weeks to decide if they are going to fight or not,” said Tapia by phone on Sunday night. “We will wait and see. This is about Layla’s legacy.”

Braekhus said that a fight with McCarter is a must but wants a fully promoted fight deserving of a major confrontation between the best. But if not, there are other options.

“A fight with Cyborg would be a major fight,” said Braekhus citing the Floyd Mayweather versus Conor McGregor success that garnered more than 2 million pay-per-view buys. “I also could face the winner between Claressa Shields and Christina Hammer.”

The Colombian-born Norwegian star plans to move up in weight perhaps sooner than later if a McCarter fight cannot be made.

“I would love to fight in Las Vegas or Los Angeles,” said Braekhus who added that she would make either of those locations her training base should a bout be made. “But of course Norway is still my home.”

WBA clash

Ireland’s Katie Taylor (7-0, 4 Kos) defends the WBA lightweight world title on Wednesday Dec. 13 against Chicago’s Jessica McCaskill (5-1, 3 Kos) in London, England.

McCaskill, 33, has sought a match with Taylor since the 2012 London Games gold medal winner became a professional last November 2016. The Chicago fighter began in August 2015. She also had more than two dozen amateur fights.

Taylor, 31, has literally run over the professional opposition including her last fight against Argentina’s Anahi Esther Sanchez for the WBA title last October 28.

McCaskill shrugs at Taylor’s accomplishments.

“I look at her fights and her opponents and I’m not impressed,” said McCaskill stoically.

Taylor says likewise.

“I’ve been in with some of the best boxers in the world and sparring,” Taylor says.

The showdown takes place on Wednesday but will not be televised in the U.S. Look for our story tomorrow on McCaskill and Taylor on this site.

Sulem Urbina

The flyweight match between Mexico’s Sulem Urbina and Sonia Osorio set for last Saturday in Las Vegas was canceled by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. An MRI revealed signs of blood clots in Osorio.

It was going to be Urbina’s first fight on American soil. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona and has only fought in Mexico since becoming a professional.

“Hopefully I can get another fight soon in the U.S.” said Urbina whose family has not seen her fight since 2013 and had trekked to Las Vegas for the fight.

 

Female Fight News

Argentina

Yamila Reynoso (9-3-3) won by decision over Gladys Segui (3-3-1) after six rounds on Saturday Dec.9. The welterweight clash took place in General Villegas.

Tamara Demarco (5-0) won by split decision versus Adriana Maldonado (1-9-2) after six rounds on Saturday Dec. 9. The minimum weight fight took place in 25 de Mayo.

Karen Carabajal (15-0) defeated Cintia Castillo (7-2) by unanimous decision on Friday Dec. 8. The super featherweight fight took place in Buenos Aires. The win gives Carabajal the Argentine title.

On Friday Dec. 15, bantamweights Maria Roman (10-4-1) and Ana Lozano (14-6-1) meet in a 10 round fight for the IBF world title in San Juan. This is Roman’s first defense of the world title she won by upsetting Carolina Duer last August.

On Saturday Dec. 16, flyweights Anyelen Espinosa (4-0) and Maria Cano (1-2) meet in a four round bout in Buenos Aires.

 

Australia

Cherneka Johnson (8-0) defeated Gretel De Paz (4-3) by unanimous decision on Saturday Dec. 9. The bantamweight fight was for the WBA Oceania title in Warrnambool, Victoria.

Sylvia Scharper (8-1-2) beat Rungnapha Kaewkrachang (13-11-1) by knockout in the fifth round. The super flyweight bout was held in Flemington, Victoria. The win gives Scharper the WIBA world title.

Bianca Elmir (1-0) won her pro debut by first round knockout over Ratsadaporn Khiaosopa (0-8) on Friday Dec. 8. The featherweight bout was held in Woden.

On Wednesday Dec. 13, bantamweights Shannon O’Connell (15-6-1) and Kleopatra Tolnai (14-13-1) meet in an eight round clash in Brisbane, Queensland.

 

Austria

Nicole Wesner (14-0) won by decision after six rounds to defeat Lela Terashvili (10-10-1) on Saturday Dec. 9. The super lightweight fight took place in Vienna.

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

On Friday Dec. 15, middleweights Ema Kozin (11-0) and Dora Tollar (1-0) meet in a 10 round bout at Banja Luka for the vacant WBF title.

 

Brazil

On Saturday Dec. 16, super featherweights Taynna Cardoso (0-0) and Caroline Araujo (0-0) make their debuts at Sao Bartolomeu.

 

Canada

Marie Eve Dicaire (10-0) beat Paty Ramirez (11-5) by decision after eight rounds on Thursday Dec. 7. The super welterweight match was held in Montreal.

On Saturday Dec. 16, Nicola Adams (2-0) and Soledad Macedo (15-13-1) meet in a six round bout in Laval, Quebec.

 

Chile

Isis Macarena (4-0) defeated Daniela Asenjo (5-2-2) by split decision after eight rounds on Saturday Dec. 9. The super flyweight fight took place in San Francisco de Mostazal and gives Macarena the Chilean title.

 

China

Wen Si Huang (9-3) knocked out Yani Zhao (0-2) in the second round on Saturday Dec. 9. The bantamweight fight was held in Xu Zhou. Also, Die Hu (5-1) beat Yongzhen Liu (1-1) by decision after six rounds in a featherweight fight.

 

Finland

On Tuesday Dec. 12, flyweights Elena Saveleva (2-0) and Oksana Romanova (9-20-1) meet in an eight round fight in Helsinki.

 

France

Cindy Novelli (1-0) beat Ana Nikolic (0-1-1) by decision after four rounds on Saturday Dec. 9. The featherweight fight took place in Lille, Nord.

On Thursday Dec. 14, super bantamweights Anissa Meksen (1-0) and Fatima El Kabouss (2-3) meet in an eight round fight in Levallois-Perret for the French title.

 

Japan

Tomoko Okuda (5-1) beat Tomoko Hayashi (3-3) by decision after six rounds on Saturday Dec.9. The super bantamweight bout was held in Sakai, Osaka.

On Monday Dec. 11, minimum weights Yumiko Shimooka (3-4) and Umi Ishikawa (5-0) meet in a six round contest in Tokyo.

On Sunday Dec. 17, minimum weights Yuko Kuroki (17-4-1) and Momo Koseki (23-2-1) meet in a 10 round clash for the WBC world title at Fukuoka. Also, Nanae Suzuki (5-2) and Sana Hazuki (6-2) meet in a six round bout; flyweights Ayaka Sato (4-4-1) and Yumemi Ikemoto (3-1) meet in a six round fight.

On Sunday Dec. 17, featherweights Asami Jinnari (5-2) and Wakako Fujiwara (4-2-1) meet in a six round fight in Kanazawa.

 

Mexico

On Saturday Dec. 16, flyweights Nana Yoshikawa (7-2) and Delia Lopez (10-6-2) meet in a 10 round clash for the WBC interim title at Zamora, Michoacan. Also, super flyweights Estrella Valverde (15-5-2) and Leticia Uribe (5-10) fight for the WBC International title.

 

New Zealand

Tania Reid (1-0-1) and Quinita Hati (0-3-1) fought to a draw after six rounds on Saturday Dec. 9. The lightweight match was held in Hawera.

On Thursday Dec. 14, heavyweights Geovana Peres (3-1) and Tessa Tualevao (0-3) meet in a four round clash in Auckland.

 

South Korea

Hee Jung Yuh (19-3) was the winner by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Li Ping Shi (2-2) on Sunday Dec. 10. The Yuh won the WBF super flyweight title at Paju.

 

Spain

On Friday Dec. 15, bantamweights Violeta Gonzalez (4-1) and Paloma Ramos (1-0) meet in a six round fight in Bilbao.

 

United Kingdom

On Wednesday Dec. 13, lightweights Katie Taylor (7-0) and Jessica McCaskill (5-1) meet in a 10 round bout for the WBA world title in London, England. Taylor, the world champion from Ireland, is making her first defense of the title against Chicago’s McCaskill.

On Wednesday Dec. 13, welterweights Nina Bradley (2-0) and Borislava Goranova (10-51-3) meet in a six round contest in Sheffield.

On Friday Dec. 15, bantamweights Ashley Brace (7-0) and Melania Sorroche (13-2-1) meet in a 10 round contest for the EBU title in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

 

USA

Mikaela Mayer (3-0) won by majority decision versus Nydia Feliciano (9-9-3) after four rounds on Saturday Dec. 9. The super featherweight clash took place in New York City. Mayer is a former US Olympian.

Aleksandra Lopes (18-4-3) and Natasha Spence (8-3-2) fought to a majority draw after eight rounds on Thursday Dec. 7. The welterweight fight took place in Lincoln, Rhode Island.

On Thursday Dec. 14, flyweights Marlen Esparza (3-0) and Karla Valenzuela (3-16-3) meet in a six round fight in Indio, California. Esparza is a former US Olympian.

On Thursday Dec. 14, middleweights Alicia Napoleon (8-1) and Sydney LeBlanc (4-5-1) meet in an eight round contest in New York City.

On Friday Dec. 15, super middleweights Ashleigh Curry (7-11-4) and Edith Ogoke (0-0) meet in four three-minute rounds at Austell, Georgia.

(Photo by Al Applerose)

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