Wakayama, Japan played host to this weekend’s major female title fight as newly crowned WBC flyweight champion Renata Szebeledi (16-10, 10 KO’s) made the first defense of her title against one of Japans most promising female competitors, Shindo Go (12-2, 8 KO’s).
Szbeledi is a far better fighter than her record would lead some to believe. Now just 19 years old, the Hungarian flyweight had joined the pro ranks one day shy of her 15th birthday, and her young age and lack of guidance led her to lose her first five professional bouts. After amassing a 6-8 record over her first two years as a pro, including two failed world title attempts, she racked up eight consecutive victories and went undefeated in seven bouts in 2011 alone.
Her next world title opportunity came in April of 2012 against IBF super flyweight champion, Simona Galassi on Galassi’s home turf in Italy. Szbeledi would drop a close 10 round decision, losing by just two points and taking her first defeat in a year and a half. Fighting a month later, she stopped Eva Marcu to win the WBF bantamweight title, and before the close of 2012 returned to Italy to even the score with Galassi. She took no chances letting the rematch go to the cards, dropping the champion in the first round and finishing her off in the third to win the vacant WBC world flyweight title.
Shindo Go, the OPBF flyweight title holder, would be her first defense. After losing her professional debut, Shindo went on a 10 bout winning streak, eight by stoppage, before losing a close split decision in the summer of 2012 to Mariana Juarez in a bid for the WBC flyweight title. She defeated Gabriella Gonzalez before years end.
Unfortunately for Szbeledi, Shindo proved to be the better of the two on fight night. In front of a hometown crowd, she took a one sided, shut-out decision over 10 rounds: 100-90 on all three score cards, to snag the WBC flyweight title from Szbeledi on her first defense. It’s Shindo’s first world title.
The vacant IBF minimum weight title was up for grabs in Mexico. Nancy Franco (10-5-2, 4 KO’s) defeated Ana Arrazola (17-9-2, 13 KO’s) by a close but unanimous decision over 10 rounds to claim the belt. For Franco, this is her first successful outing in a world title affair, having lost in three prior attempts. Arrazola, a former Mexico title holder, has yet to win any bout where a world title is at stake: she’s now zero-for-six in world title challenges including two losses to current light flyweight champion, Yesica Bopp.
Katy Castillo (18-1, 11 KO’s) made the second defense of the IBF super bantamweight title in the Dominican Republic, meeting first time title challenger Zenny Sotomayor (9-5-2, 7 KO’s). Castillo notched another stoppage as the bout was stopped by the challenger’s corner between rounds, giving Castillo the win via an official ruling of RTD 7. The win is Castillo’s fourth straight, her lone defeat coming in 2011 at the hands of Ogleidis Suarez. Sotomayor is now 4-5 since being inactive for all of 2010, this being her second straight loss.
Betiana Vinas (8-4-3, 2 KO’s) retained the WBC Silver featherweight title, stopping Cynthia Munoz in the sixth round in Argentina. Munoz was counted out after being dropped by a left hook to the body.
Undefeated Shelly Vincent (9-0) won the vacant WIBA International super bantamweight title in Rhode Island, USA, taking an eight round decision over Angel Gladney (8-8-1, 6 KO’s) This was Vincent’s third fight of 2013, she fought five times in 2012. Gladney’s rough patch continues; after having a very good year in 2010, going 6-0-1, she’s went 2-8 in her last 10 bouts since.
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