BRAEKHUS SURVIVES A RIGHT SCARE!

Undisputed Welterweight World Champion, Norwegian Cecilia Braekhus, defended her titles by defeating American Kali Reis by UD,  at the StubHub Center of Carson, California, United States, but it proved to be a bumpy night!

Braekhus weathered some difficult and eye watering moments against Reis, especially in the last four rounds, but had accumulated a sufficient points tally advantage  to prevail overall, against a slower but heavier hitting opponent, who’d moved down from middleweight, with heavy handed power,  to take on this svelte challenge.  judges Tim Cheatham (97-92), Edward Hernandez (96-93) and Zac Young (96-93) voted for Braekhus.

Considered the best woman boxer in the world, Cecilia got off to a bright, brisk and breezy start, fighting behind an effective left jab and some wide angled hooks, keeping Kali at bay.   Egged on by her corner Kali came out in a far more aggressive mode in round six and started to tag Cecilia with hard right hooks.  At the beginning of the seventh she clipped Cecilia with another right, and then Cecilia walked into a blockbuster short right hook, which dropped her.  Shocked to her boots, but superbly conditioned, Cecilia immediately got up. But the Referee sent fired up Kali to a neutral corner and gave Cecilia a count.  When the action resumed she again got caught with a shuddering right.

In the eighth Cecilia intelligently boxed and moved, but was again wobbled just before the bell with that big right. In the ninth Cecilia boxed beautifully, displaying a smorgasbord of skills to avoid a further buffeting,  In the final round both ladies sportingly touched gloves gently, politely and respectfully and then went straight at it.  Kali was trying to set up Cecilia for another blockbuster right, but it was too predictably telegraphed, and the champion had other ideas.  She landed a big right hook of her own and a crisp left uppercut to end the uncomfortable fight decisively.

A worthy woman’s battle royale broadcast by HBO, who for the first time dipped their toes into female boxing.  A rematch is likely on the cards and it would be lively!  However it would be better and kinder for Cecilia’s Mum to  stay at home, as she was visibly suffering in the audience, a lot more than her sturdy, fresh faced and attractive daughter!