Another Look at United Kingdom Fights Including Ellie Scotney vs Mayelli Flores War
By David A. Avila
The United Kingdom put out the red carpet and flexed its muscles once again with a top notch mostly female fight card that started with Lauren Price in Wales then ended with Caroline DuBois in England.
If you haven’t watched women’s boxing in the past decade you are missing out.
Perhaps my favorite battle over the weekend was the super bantam bash between England’s Ellie Scotney and Mexico’s Mayelli Flores for the undisputed championship. Just watching Flores in her jaguar pouncing pose is the stuff of legend.
When the bell rang for the super bantams to decide the winner it was explosive with the Mexican unfurling a furious flurry of blows too fast for two judges to see. But not too fast for Scotney to counter with potent and accurate rights.
Scotney, is a real pro, she didn’t clinch and hold as we saw a day earlier when Lauren Price had no defense for the hard-hitting Boricua Stephanie Pineiro in their welterweight bash. After their match Price looked like someone beat her with a bat.
I blame clinching on poor coaching. It’s an amateur tactic used by fighters who are not taught how to fight on the inside.
Scotney knows how to fight in close or on the outside and we saw that in 10 beautiful rounds between the two female warriors. It might be my favorite match of the year.
Flores is small and round like a human cannonball and she does not let up. It was obvious that Scotney’s team did their homework and were ready for the Pell Mell battle that ensued. It was a spectacular fight that was closer than two judges saw it. They all gave Flores no credit for out-landing Scotney in many rounds.
Still, Scotney did win the match with some nifty counters and fearless refusal to clinch or hold.
Ever since I first saw Scotney I loved her fighting style. She always reminds me of the great Las Vegas fighter Melinda Cooper who had a similar style. The only difference was Cooper packs power. Scotney still has no knockouts on her resume which is stunning to me because she obviously hits hard.
Flores slowed down during the eighth and ninth round but reloaded in the final round and to me won the 10th. Two judges Glen Dawson of Canada and Austria’s Sven Graefe did not give Flores a single round on their score cards. No more world titles fights for these two. I give them zero points for judging.
A day later, Flores relayed her feelings about those two judges on social media. She felt she did her best but wondered what the judges were watching.
Scotney, however, proved to be a truly well-trained professional fighter capable of figuring out the Mexican fighter’s style. And that was no easy task. Well done.
Super flies
IBF super fly champ Irma Garcia (26-5-1, 6 Kos) knocked down England’s Emma Dolan several times before putting the finishing touches in the third round. It was a mismatch that should not have happened.
Dolan, though undefeated fighting other girls in England, was not ready for the next step in class. Definitely not ready for an elite class fighter like Garcia. Though the Mexican fighter is in her 40s she has proven to have found her punch and showed that.
Garcia, 44, has fought world class fighters like Daniela Bermudez, Guadalupe Martinez, Mariana Juarez, Laura Serrano, and Yazmin Rivas.
Dolan had no world class experience. She was not ready despite an undefeated record. It was a bad case of matchmaking or poor team decision.
Now that MVP has network deals with SkySports and ESPN why not make a super fly tournament? MVP has two of the titlists in Jazmine Artiga and Garcia. The other two are based in Southern California with WBC titlist Adelaida Ruiz and WBO titlist Mizuki Hiruta of Japan. That could be one of the best tournaments in women’s boxing that can easily be made.
Disappointment in Wales
The welterweight match between Lauren Price and Stephanie Pineiro which featured two strong southpaw fighters was electric until the Welsh fighter resorted to clinching tactics.
Once Price began grappling the fight slowed down to a crawl and technique went out the window. It became a fight to survive the remaining rounds for Price who though very strong resorted to her amateur ways of hit and hold.
Amateur programs throughout the world all teach the same method of holding. Other then some blocking techniques, most amateur coaches are lazy and teach clinching for fighting in close. Most referees do not enforce the no holding rule. It would help boxing if referees deducted points for constant holding.
Price was guilty of holding during the second half of the match with Puerto Rico’s Pineiro who was connecting heavily with that wicked right hook from the southpaw stance. She is one fighter to watch.
Chantelle Cameron
Often overlooked Chantelle Cameron once again showed why she is among the best female fighters in the world.
Cameron bludgeoned Michaela Kotaskova for 10 three-minute rounds but never could put away the tall, wiry, but strong Czech fighter no matter what she hit her with. The extra minute in every round actually helped Kotaskova more than Cameron who got tired of hitting her.
A few times during their match I thought the referee might stop the fight, but Kotaskova would come back swinging. It was gutsy stuff.
Cameron won easily on the scorecards and already announced she will fight another Mikaela in Mikaela Mayer. It’s going to be a mega burner when these two meet in the boxing ring probably in the summer.
More Fight News
Argentina
On Friday April 10, super flies Micaela Lujan (16-3-1) and Diana Deobono (4-3-1) meet 10 rounds at Villa Mercedes for South American title.
On Saturday April 11, bantamweights Ludmila Matias (4-0) and Maria Rodriguez (3-0) meet six rounds at Galvez.
Australia
On Wednesday April 8, light heavies Angelina Teakaraanga-Kotoa (0-0) and Natthawadee Sommanat (0-2) meet four rounds at Warwick Farm. Also, super middles Cassidy Thornberry (2-0) and Aiden Kennedy (0-1) meet four.
On Saturday April 11, super lightweights Sophia Ashfour (1-0) and Manjot Rottu (8-3) meet five rounds at Bankstown. Also, feathers Lexis Nahirny (0-0) and Pattarawee Nareeruk (4-2) meet four.
Bangladesh
On Saturday April 11, featherweights Sagorika Chakma (0-0) and Rima Sarkar (1-0) meet four rounds at Dhaka.
Canada
On Thursday April 9, super feathers Leila Beaudoin (13-2) and Victoria Bustos (26-9-1) meet 10 rounds at Montreal.
On Saturday April 11, light flies Sara Bailey (6-1) and Mariela Ribera (12-10) meet 10 rounds at Ottawa.
France
Tania D’Almeida (4-0) beat Darih Hernandez (3-6) by decision after six rounds on Saturday April 4. The light fly fight took place in Lisieux.
Emilie Sonvico (8-0) defeated Erica Alvarez (8-18) by decision after eight rounds on Saturday April 4. The welterweight fight was held in Roquemaure.
On Thursday April 9, super lights Estelle Mossely (11-0-1) and Bexcy Mateus (8-2) meet 10 rounds in Paris.
Georgia
Teona Pirosmanashviili (6-7-1) knocked out Jasmina Urinova (1-1) in the fourth round on Tuesday March 31. The super fly fight was held in Tbilisi.
Ghana
On Friday April 10, super welters Sedem Ana (5-0) and Ivanusa Moreira (3-0) meet eight rounds at Accra.
Ireland
Kelsey Leonard (5-0) knocked out Elaine Harrison (1-2) in the fourth round on Saturday April 4. The featherweight fight was held in Dublin. Also, welter Christina Desmond (4-0) beat Bojana Libiszewska (7-76) in six; and lightweight Sarah Murphy (3-0) beat Joanna Fraszczak (1-6) after four.
Italy
On Friday April 10, lightweights Arianna Tonello (5-0) and Natalie Polednikova (4-0) meet 10 rounds for vacant EBU title at Ferrara.
Japan
Sana Hazuki (15-12-1) beat Mika Iwakawa (13-10-1) by decision after eight rounds on Sunday April 5. The atomweight fight was held in Fukuchimachi.
On Tuesday April 7, atomweights Sumire Yamanaka (9-1) and Nao Ugawa (6-0) meet 10 rounds at Tokyo. Also, Shiori Yotsumoto (2-0) and Mao Kamada (5-0-3) meet eight; Honoka Kano (10-1-3) and Komi Sato (4-0) meet eight; bantams Nana Yamashita (7-2) and Terumi Nuki (16-7-1) meet eight; minimumweights Nanaka Suzuki (9-4) and Riyuna Yoshikawa (7-2-2) meet eight; and super bantams Rin Fukui (0-0-1) and Miki Matsui (0-0) meet four.
On Saturday April 11, flyweights Mami Otsubo (1-2-1) and Ayami Yamamoto (0-0-1) meet four rounds at Kariya.
Mauritius
On Saturday April 11, super welters Brigette Mbabi (4-0) and Arju (0-0) meet six rounds at Vacoas-Phoenix. Also, middles Jorbelle Malewu (4-0) and Jyoti (0-0) meet six.
Spain
On Saturday April 11, minimumweights Maria Luz Peral (7-0-1) and Federica Macri (8-0-1) meet 10 rounds for vacant EBU title at Santander.
United Kingdom
Caroline DuBois (13-0-1) defeated Terri Harper (16-3-2) by decision after 10 on Sunday April 5. The WBC, WBO lightweight title fight was held in London, England. Also, super bantam Ellie Scotney (12-0) defeated Mayelli Flores (13-2-1) after 10 for undisputed titles; super welter Chantelle Cameron (22-1) beat Michaela Kotaskova (11-1-2) in 10 for WBO title; super fly Irma Garcia (26-5-1) knocked out Emma Dolan (8-1) in three for IBF title; super fly Shannon Courtenay (11-3) knocked out Sasha Booker (3-2) in three; bantam Teresa Makinen (6-0) beat Chloe Watson (9-3) in eight; super feather Elizabeth Oshoba (10-0) knocked out Chelsey Arnell (5-3-1) in three; and lightweight Gemma Richardson (3-0) beat Johana Rajmont (6-8-1) in six.
Lauren Price (10-0) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds against Stephanie Piniero (10-1) on Saturday April 4. The IBF, IBO, WBC, super welter title fight was held in Cardiff, Wales.
On Saturday April 11, super feathers Katie Smith (4-1) and Jade Burden (4-0) meet 10 rounds at Portsmouth. Also, bantams Johanna Wonyou (12-0) and Antonella Moliina (4-30-2) meet six rounds.
USA
Ivy Enriquez (7-0) won by decision after four rounds versus Chastity Roberts (1-1) on Friday April 3. The bantamweight fight was held in Allentown, Penn. Also, Brooke Mullen (2-0) knocked out Breona Vaughn (0-3) in four.
On Tuesday April 7, featherweights Chiara Dituri (12-2) and Simone Aparecida (17-38) meet six rounds at Nashville, Tenn.
On Saturday April 11, bantams Chantal Navarro (7-0) and Perla Lomeli (7-7) meet eight rounds in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also, welters Brianda Cruz (4-0) and Crashonna Wynn (4-1) meet six.
