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(JAN 18, 2004) Last night
in Karlsruhe, Germany,
Regina Halmich, 43-1-0 (15KO), of Germany, successful
defended her WIBF Flyweight title when she won by a 10-round
unanimous decision over
Johanna Pena-Alvarez, now 14-2-1
(10KO), of the Dominican Republic.
The Fight...
ROUND 1
The difference between the two fighters immediately stands out. Joanna Pena,
a southpaw, bends her knees trying to hit her opponent from a low position,
while Halmich stands upright constantly jumping up and down. Pena shows good
technical skills and this fight definitely won't be a walkover for Regina.
By all means, a promising start.
ROUND 2
Joanna Pena takes the initiative in the opening seconds, but Regina soon
takes over. Another good round in which both fighters manage to get in a few
good shots with Regina standing in the centre of the ring and Joanna
fighting on the outside.
ROUND 3 & 4
The same pattern can be seen in both rounds: Pena opens, fighting on the
outside close to the ropes, while Halmich counters taking up more space.
It's been a pretty even fight so far.
ROUND 5
There are a few fierce exchanges in the beginning. Regina is more aggressive
though and lands a few excellent jabs to her opponent's head. She clearly
takes control of the fight at this stage.
ROUND 6
Joanna still looks powerful, but her footwork is limited. She tries to land
numerous swings, but Regina keeps her at a distance so that most of them
miss their mark.
ROUND 7
Regina takes the initiative now, looking very confident. She keeps attacking
and then quickly moves away to avoid Pena's counters. After the round, it
can be noticed that Regina has a bruise under her left eye, but it's nothing
to worry about.
ROUND 8
Regina hits Pena's head with quite a few jabs. There are a few wild
exchanges in which Halmich throws more punches.
ROUND 9
Regina keeps using her jabs successfully. Pena answers with hooks and swings
always keeping that low position but she is not as effective as Halmich.
ROUND 10
Joanna makes one final attempt to finish the fight, but Regina doesn't allow
her to impose herself. The fight turns into a slugfest with both fighters
throwing all they got. A fantastic ending to a good fight.
The verdict from the judges: 98-92. 99-91, and 99-94
COMMENT:
Joanna Pena looked very strong and skillful but she clearly didn't have
enough experience to take home the title and never actually got Halmich in
trouble. Her footwork definitely needs improving. Tonight she certainly took
a useful boxing lesson from maestra Regina.
(A special thanks to Peter
Geudens for providing a round to round report!) |
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