By Per Ake Persson
Horsens, Denmark: Dina Thorslund (14-0) retained the WBO female super bantamweight title in style as she outscored her mandatory challenger, Australian April Adams (11-2-1).
The judges all had it 100-90 in favour of Thorslund after ten.
Adams was brave but outclassed and in the final round she was hurt by bodyshots and then a left hook to the head. She was ready to go but Thorslund stepped back and allowed Adams to remain standing the final five seconds of the fight with a big smile on her lips.
Adams was also hurt in the fourth and fifth but kept trying but never really had a chance of pulling off an upset.
So what´s next? Well, promoter Nisse Sauerland hinted at moving up to featherweight where a fight against Heather Hardy in the US is a possibility - and there´s also a rumor of a fight against Elina Tissen in Germany.
Heavyweight hopeful Kem Ljungquist (9-0) outscored Spanish champ Gabriel Enguema (10-9) over eight and won on scores on 79-73 twice and 78-74. It was a workmanlike performance by Ljungquist, a southpaw, who did well when he kept his distance but got into problems in infight. Enguema had a good third round and made it close but not enough to win it.
Junior lightweight Frederik Hede Jensen (5-1) beat Spaniard Ruben Garcia (5-8-2) on a controversial disqualification 1.12 into the third round. Garcia had a point deducted in the second for repeated low blows while he had Jensen in trouble after landing with some good body punches. He then had another point deducted for punching after the bell ending the second. In the third Garcia again seemed to have Hede under pressure when he scored with a punch a little below the belt line - and how he had third point deducted and when he protested he was dq:d.
Had Garcia played it cooler he could well have won this fight. Hede Jensen, a southpaw, appeared to be shaken already in the first as he was caught by Garcia´s right hand - in the second the body punches had him in trouble and as he bent over he was caught with punches that were indeed were low but maybe not that hard and that started his troubles.
Norwegian cruiser "King" Kai Robin Havnaa (15-0) stopped Georgian Levan Lukhutashvili (7-4) 1.12 into the third of a scheduled ten rounder. Havnaa made a slow start - in fact so slow he lost both completed rounds on my card - with Lukhutashvili scoring with wild hooks from both hands.
However, in the third Havnaa opened up and Lukhutashvili started complaining about low blows and he kept talking and complaining while Havnaa rained in heavy punches on him. Lukhutashvili finally went down from a left hook to the body and when he got up walked to his corner and it was stopped.
"He wanted out, said Havnaa interviewed in the ring, I could feel my punches hurting him and he wanted to get out of there."
After two the judges had it even: 20-18 Havnaa, 19-19 and 20-18 Lukhutashvili.
Havnaa also said there might a fight against Dane Micki Nielsen later this year.
Middleweight Landry Kore (10-0-1) outscored Czech Tomas Bezvoda (6-7) in a six-rounder. It was scored 59-55 twice and 60-54. Kore shook his opponent with right in the second but Bezvoda quickly recovered and put up a good fight.
Featherweight Michael Nielsen made his pro debut and outscored Bulgarian Stefan Sashev (5-23-1) over four. Sashev had a point deducted in the third after being careless with this head. Nielsen was too eager and it became a tough, messy battle and Sashev, a southpaw, landed with a few hooks but overall Nielsen, a local fighter, dominated. It was scored 40-35 on all cards.
Haris Dzindo (11-0) knocked out Hungarian Istvan Zeller (38-27) 2.45 into the first round of a scheduled eight-rounder that was for the vacant GBU Continental title at light heavyweight and not super middle as it was announced for. Zeller, who looked out of shape, weighed just for the record in over the light heavy limit as well.
Dzindo patiently stalked his opponent and when the opening he landed cleanly with a big right and Zeller went down. He was up at "8" but the referee wisely called it off.
In the second fight of the evening light heavy and local hero Amer Rasinlic turned pro with a four round points win over Pole Przemyslaw Binienda (2-25) in a fight with more wrestling than boxing. Binienda was down in the second but it was from being pushed down than punched down. It was scored 40-35 on all cards.
Team Sauerland´s show at the Forum in Horsens kicked off with an upset win for Serbian female lightweight Jelena Janicijevic (3-1) who stopped the previously unbeaten Joanna Ekedahl (9-1) in the fifth of a scheduled six-rounder. Janicijevic dominated the fight from the second round onwards and Ekedahl just couldn´t get out of the way from her punches. In the fifth Jelena pressured her opponent against the ropes and Ekadahl caved in and went down from a right uppercut to the head and it was stopped.
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