WBF News: “Champions Collide”, Schembri vs. Segura February 24, 2018

In a rare case of big time championship boxing in the Mediterranean island state, Prize Boxing Promotions presents a show billed as “Champions Collide” on Saturday February 24 at the Corradino Sports Pavillion in Paola, Malta.  Headlining the bill will be a fight for the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) International Super Middleweight title between local hero Christian “Coqqos” Schembri and Italy-based Dominican Christian Arvelo Segura. Schembri, 11-3 (5), turned professional in 2015 by unusually facing what appeared to be a much too accomplished opponent in former Commonwealth Champion Scott Dixon (37-10-4 at the time), but amazingly managed to give the Scot all he could handle before losing a majority decision over ten rounds. They rematched six months later, and this time Read more [...]

Solis Takes On Saguilan For WBF World Light Welterweight Title

On Sunday February 18, plenty of local pride will be on the line when compatriots Luis Solis and Nery Saguilan headlines a show in Comitan, Mexico, with the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) World Light Welterweight title at stake. Luis Solis, from the port city of Progreso, has won seven of his last eight bouts, six of those by stoppage, and three straight last year since losing on points to former WBC World Lightweight titlist Antonio DeMarco in February. Last June, “Muecas” Solis impressed the enthusiastic and knowledgable boxing fans in Comitan, when he dug deep to grind out a hard-fought, but deserved, decision victory over tough-as-nails former IBF World Champion Cristobal Cruz. With a record of 23-8-4 (19), 25-year-old Solis has youth and power on his side, but Mexico Read more [...]

Salsi Beats Brave Aduashvili To Win WBF Eurasia Cruiserweight Title

Frenchman Nicholas Salsi won his fourth fight in a row to capture the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) Eurasia Cruiserweight title on Thursday, January 25, in Grenoble, only a few kilometres from his home-town Pont-de-Claix. Salsi (36), who improved his record to 9-4-1 (3), faced game 22-year-old Georgian Paata Aduashvili, 24-21-3 (16), and impressed a nice crowd at the Salle Malherbes, winning his first professional title by fifth round technical knockout. Aduashvili came out strong and fast in the first round, but was unlucky to get an eight-count after what seemed to be a slip when his feet tangled with Salsi´s. Rounds two and three were fairly even, with both men having their moments, and it looked as if it would be a long, hard night for the local favourite. But in round four Salsi Read more [...]

New Dawn: Elvis Moyo vs. Knfife Didier On January 26

Elvis Moyo, 6-5-2 (3), from Zimbabwe is set to make the first title defense of his second reign as World Boxing Federration (WBF) All Africa Heavyweight Champion, when he takes on South Africa-based Congolese Knife Didier, 6-2 (5), on January 26 at the City Sports Centre in Harare. “The Bulawayo Bomber” first won the WBF title in November of 2013, but never defended it as he went after a career in MMA instead of boxing. He returned to the ring last July, and recaptured the All Africa crown the following month with a fourth round stoppage of Kenyan Bernard Adie. “These are the African Heavyweight match-ups people want to see,” said Moyo. “I had no time off over Christmas and New Year, I have been in the gym and I guarantee a victory by Knockout.” “I am going to entertain my Read more [...]

Juk San Lee Tops Rusmin Kie Raha For WBF Asia Pacific Honors

Lightweights Juk San Lee and Rusmin Kie Raha didn’t hold anything back when they squared off for the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) Asia Pacific Lightweight title on Sunday, November 5, in the main event of a stacked show in Osaka, Japan. Lee, who´s birth-name is Ryo Akahori, is residing and fighting out of South Korea but was born in Osaka, had the crowd on his side. However, it would not be long before the local fans learned to also appreciate the efforts of former Indonesian Champion Kie Raha. Both men threw caution to the wind and went for broke, and it quickly turned into a very entertaining brawl between teak-tough warriors. Lee was the better boxer of the two, but Raha never stopped trying and was often effective with his body-punching. The first three rounds clearly belonged Read more [...]

Valavanis Takes WBF Intercontinental, Ashour All Africa Champion

A former WBF All Africa Welterweight Champion and the reigning WBF International Super Welterweight titlist going in, Egyptian star Andreas Valavanis won the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental Welterweight crown on Tuesday night, July 18, at Fitbox Corner in Cairo. After suffering a surprise knock-down in the second round, 25-year-old “King Cheetah” Valavanis recovered well and rallied back to stop experienced former Tanzanian Champion Omari Ramadan (29) in the second round with a vicious body-shot. A pro only since November of 2015, heavy-handed Valavanis is certainly being fast-tracked to the top, and improved his impressive ledger to 9-0 (9). Ramadan, a veteran of nine championship fights, is now 14-10-2 (10) since turning over in 2006. In the evenings co-feature, Read more [...]

Ushona Poised For First WBF World Title-Defense Against Belaev

World Boxing Federation (WBF) World Welterweight Champion Bethuel Ushona, 35-5-1 (19), from Namibia will make the first defense of his title against Russian challenger Roman Belaev, 16-2 (11), on Saturday July 1 at the Ramatex Hall in Windhoek.   Born, raised and still residing in Windhoek, Ushona won the title when he decisioned tough former European titlist Rafal Jackiewicz from Poland last December, and now he is ready for his anticipated return, in front of his many adoring home-town fans. After six months of inactivity, Ushona is eager to get back in the ring. While he claims to know very little about the man who will try to take the title from him, he is adamant that he is not taking anything for granted, and that he is in no way underestimating Belaev: “The title-defense has Read more [...]

Rafael Bejaran WBF World Champion After Dramatic Fight

Germany-based Dominican Rafael Bejaran is the new World Boxing Federation (WBF) World Super Welterweight Champion after winning the vacant title on Sunday night, April 2, at the Grosse Freiheit 36 in his adopted home-town Hamburg. Bejaran was declared the winner over South African co-challenger Nkululeko Mhlongo by split Technical Decision, when a cut over the left eye suffered in the second round, as a result of an accidental head-but, worsened and the ringside doctor recommended the fight be stopped after round six. Judges Torben Seemann Hansen from Denmark and Germany’s Jens Uwe Baum had Bejaran ahead by scores of 58-56 and 60-54, while judge Christian Roesen, also from Germany, had Mhlongo leading by 58-56. The third man in the ring was Zbigniew Lagosz. Before that, it had been Read more [...]

Ettabouti Beats Isgandarzada To Win WBF Eurasia Crown

On Saturday night, December 10, at the Halle Monconseil in Tours, France, Moroccan Yassine Ettabouti won the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) Eurasia Light Welterweight title when he defeated tough co-challenger Bakhtiyar Isgandarzada from Azerbaijan.  In front of a very lively crowd of about 1000 fans, mostly of Moroccan origin, Ettabouti seemed in control of the fight from the first round, and worked well off the jab before mixing things up with nice combinations. Isgandarzada was game, but almost always a step behind in the exchanges. Isgandarzada did have his moments, especially in rounds three and five where he had some significant success, but Ettabouti appeared on his way to a clear decision victory when Isgandarzada retired between the sixth and seventh stanza due to a hand-injury, Read more [...]

WBF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champ Defends Title December 17 – WBF News Release

Hard-punching World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion Samir Nebo will make his first title-defense on Saturday December 17, in the main event of a stacked show at the Boxhalle in his hometown of Torgau, Germany.  Nebo, 8-1-1 (8), won the WBF title in his most recent outing, last April, when he, in a dominant performance, disposed of former Belorussian champion Andrei Mazanik in five rounds, and now he is ready to continue his climb up the Heavyweight ladder. He will be challenged by Georgian banger Davit Gorgiladze, who enters his first championship fight with a nice 11-2 (9) record. From Tbilisi, Gorgiladze has only lost to very competent opposition in undefeated Apti Davtaev (10-0-1) in Russia, and Bogdan Dinu (15-0) in Romania. Nebo has not lost a fight Read more [...]

Unstoppable! Ushona Gets Second Shot At WBF World Title

When Namibian favorite Bethuel “Unstoppable” Ushona lost a controversial decision for the WBF World Welterweight title to Germany´s Deniz Ilbay last June, the World Boxing Federation executive committee soon after ordered an immediate rematch.  However, Ilbay showed no desire to settle the score in the ring, but rather chose to run away with his disputed win and vacate the title.  So now Ushona will take on former European champion Rafal Jackiewicz from Poland for the vacant title on December 3 in Winhoek, headlining a big show promoted by Salute Boxing Academy. This will be a clash between two very experienced boxers. A former Namibian national champion and WBO, WBA and IBO regional titlist, Ushona has taken part in eighteen championship fights, of which he has won fourteen, Read more [...]

WBF Champions Crowned In France, Japan & Kosovo

World Boxing Federation (WBF) Championship action took place in France, Japan and Kosovo on Saturday, October 22, with new champions crowned in the Light Welterweight, Super Featherweight, Super Flyweight and Cruiserweight divisions.  At the Cirque Jules Verne in Amiens, France, local favorite Christopher Sebire captured the vacant WBF World Light Welterweight title with a unanimous decision over former South American champion Martin Antonio “El Principito” Coggi from Argentina. Coggi got off to the better start, but Sebire found his rhythm in round two and took control of most of the rounds from then on. Coggi had to work hard to snatch a round here and there, and after the final bell it seemed clear to most that the home-man had won a very good fight. Judge Vincent Dupas (France) Read more [...]

New WBF Champions: Vovk Shocks Tita, Kindele Out-Fights Kabongo – Press Release/WBF

It was an evening of mixed fortunes for the local favourites on Sunday, September 11, at the Hall Omnisport in Rebecq, Belgium. Two World Boxing Federation (WBF) titles were on the line, but only one of them stayed in Belgium when the night was over.  Fighting for the vacant WBF Intercontinental Welterweight title, Cedric Tita got off to a good start in his encounter with Ukrainian-born Polish banger Mykola Vovk, and in the first three rounds he continuously befuddled the visitor with nice movement and fast punching. But in the fourth round, after suffering a cut eye, Tita made the mistake of standing in front of Vovk to trade punches, which suited his opponent better than it did him. Vovk started to take over, and was soon in control of the fight and putting on the pressure. With hard Read more [...]

Opalach vs. Wanyonyi For WBF World Title

On Saturday September 10 at the Hala-Basen in Goldap, Poland, local man Przemyslav Opalach will fight Kenyan Daniel Wanyonyi for the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) World Super Middleweight title.On a ten-fight winning streak, 30-year-old Opalach is 22-2 (18) since turning professional in 2011, and after winning a slew of regional titles along the way this is his first shot at a world championship. Wanyonyi (33), a former Kenyan national champion and African champion, on the other hand has challenged for world honours before. Last February he lost a competitive decision to Tony Averlant in France for the WBF World Light Heavyweight title. He has since rebounded with a second-round knockout victory in Nairobi, to bring his record to 23-9-2 (19).Both boxers carry considerable power, Read more [...]

Nino Benvenuti Returns “Home” For WBF Convention In Slovenia

Middleweight great and Hall-Of-Famer Nino Benvenuti (82-7-1, 35 Kos) has confirmed his attendance as a special guest at the 2016 World Boxing Federation (WBF) convention to be held in Maribor, Slovenia between September 22 and September 25 at the luxurious Hotel Habakuk. Besides former WBF and IBF world champion Jan Zaveck, Benvenuti (78) is the only boxer born in what is today known as Slovenia to become a professional world champion, and he did so no less than three times between 1965 and 1968, losing his WBC and WBA titles in his third reign to Carlos Monzon in 1970. Born in fishing-town Izola, which was Italian at the time but incorporated into Slovenia, then a part of Yugoslavia, in 1954, Benvenuti turned professional in 1961 after an amazing amateur career. Various reports Read more [...]