By Per Ake Persson
Struer, Denmark, Energi Park - Local favourite Dina Thorslund, 11-0, won the WBC interim female 122 lb title with a unanimous decision over veteran Alicia Ashley, 24-12-1.
After ten rounds it was scored 96-94 twice and 97-93 all for Thorslund.
Ashley blew the fight with a slow start in the first four and Thorslund won them all with short barrages of punches. However, in the fifth, cornermen Ana Velez and Hector Rocha finally got some life in Ashley and as she began to take the fight to Thorslund the pattern of the fight changed.
The Danish lady is pretty much a straight forward brawler and when forced to retreat she isn´t the same and Ashley began to win rounds - but the gap to close was too big. In the tenth both went all out and now Thorslund was just a little sharper. On my card it was draw at 95-95.
It must also be said that the word "interim" somehow was forgotten in the PR machinery for this fight.
Former EBU featherweight Dennis Ceylan, 25-2, appeared to have things all his way in the first and second of his fight against Jesus Sanchez, 9-1, from Sanchez.
Ceylan chased his opponent around the ring looking every bit the quality fighter he is. Sanchez retreated in full speed and threw long, wild punches that missed - but late in the second one - a right - connected and Ceylan went down on his back.
It was a bad knockdown but Ceylan got up and looked unsteady - and it was stopped at 2.59 and ruled a knockout for Sanchez in a major upset. Ceylan and his corner protested the stoppage but he did stumble badly as he got up.
Heavyweight Kem Ljungquist 3-0, knocked out Czech Frantisek Kohout, 1-1, 1.52 into the second. Ljungquist found a home for his southpaw left and floored Kohout once in the first and twice in the second.
German middleweight prospect Aruk Marutjan moved to 3-0 with a clear points win over Georgian Nikoloz Gvajava, 9-11-2. It was scored 40-36 twice and 39-37. Marutjan covered up well and showed his talent in spots but needs to show a lot more as he move up the ladder. Gvajava have a dangerous left hook but Marutjan blocked all coming his way.
Super welterweight Mikkel Nielsen, 4-0, outworked Georgian southpaw Jemal Shalamberidze, a claimed 7-3, over six but failed to impress in a fight with more holding and wrestling than clean punches. It was scored 59-55, 58-56 and 60-54. Nielsen could never really figure out his opponent´s style while Shalamberidze didn´t have the strength to make the Dane retreat.
Super featherweight Frederik Hede Jensen, 2-1, suffered an upset loss to Spaniard Brian Pelaez, 5-2, after four in a fight where both worked hard with Jensen, a southpaw, as aggressor while Pelaez, taller and the better boxer, boxed off the ropes and picked off his opponent.
It was close but Pelaez got it on scores of 39-37 and 39-38 with one vote for Jensen at 39-37. Jensen faded a bit in the last two and wasted a lot of punches and that cost him the fight.
Super middleweight Haris Dzindo, 6-0, outscored a very survival-minded opponent in Hungarian trialhorse Karoly Lakatos, 14-60-1. It was scored 40-36 twice and 40-35 from the two judges and scoring referee. Dzindo worked hard and went well to the body and Lakatos looked shaken in the second but other than that he cruised to another loss and another payday.