Twenty three year old minimum-weight Yuko Kuroki (12-4-1, 6 KO’s) successfully defended the WBC minimum-weight world title for the first time in her home town of Fukuoka, Japan, scoring a close split decision over Katia Gutierrez (19-5, 4 KO’s).
Kuroki, who took to the pro ranks at the age of 17, won the belt from Mari Ando in May. She had failed in two prior title contests in 2013, losing to Etsuko Tada in March in a WBA world title bout and drawing with Saemi Hanagata in her attempt to win the OPBF minimum-weight belt in December. This win makes her third straight since that draw.
Gutierrez is the former IBF minimum-weight champion, having held the title in 2011 and 2012 making four defenses. She came in off a six round decision win over Brenda Flores in April after losing for the second time to Irma Sanchez in her prior bout.
In Mendoza, Argentina, the WBA super bantamweight champion Yesica Patricia Marcos (25-0-2, 9 KO’s) had a quick nights work, stopping Estrella Valverde (10-5-2, 1 KO) in the opening frame to win her third defense of the title. Valverde was counted out at the 1:41 mark by referee Uriel Aguilera, after being stunned by a left hook to the head, which was followed by a pair of hooks to the body that dropped her along the ring ropes.
Marcos championship reign started in 2010 when, after holding the Argentina and WBA Fedalatin titles, she won the interim WBA belt and defended it three times before winning the full title with a stoppage of Dayana Cordero, a fight where she also defended her WBO super bantamweight belt that she had won one fight prior; that title was vacated shortly after. In three defenses, Marcos has won twice and drew with Marcela Eliana Acuna.
Valverde has had little success in title opportunities, losing on four occasions and drawing in her last bout with Jessica Gonzalez. Of her five losses, this is the only time she’s been stopped like this; her one other stoppage defeat was due to eye swelling.
Eva Voraberger (19-3, 9 KO’s) won a close one in Austria, retaining her WIBF and WBF super flyweight championships with a one point split decision over Renata Domsodi (12-6, 5 KO’s) at the Admiral Dome in Vienna; scores of the bout were 95-94 twice for the champ and 95-94 for Domsodi. It was the first defense of both titles for Voraberger, who is a former WIBF and WBF Intercontinental champ as a flyweight. Domsodi won the WBF International bantamweight crown in March in a bout that also earned her the UBO International and Hungary titles. She came into this weekend’s bout off a stoppage loss to Zulina Munoz in a WBC super-flyweight contest.
Zita Zatyko (16-1-1, 11 ) became a two time WBF world champion, winning the vacant super middleweight title with a 10 round decision over the lesser experienced Szilvia Szabados (5-1, 2 KO’s) in Slovakia. Fighting for the first time since a 2013 loss to Christina Hammer, Zatyko took scores of 99-91, 96-94, and 98-92 to regain the title and also win the Hungary super middleweight belt for the third time. The contest was big step up for Szabados, who turned pro in February of this year and had her five wins in by May.
South African light welterweight Phindile Mwelase (0-3-1) passed away Wednesday after suffering a knockout loss to Liz Butler (3-2-2, 3 KO’s) on October 10th. In what was reported as a competitive bout, Mwelase was caught with a right hand that knocked her out in the sixth round. She was taken to Kalafong Hospital and later transferred to Steve Biko Hospital where surgery was performed to stop bleeding on the brain. Butler is said to have taken Mwelase’s passing very hard, and has said she will no longer box.
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