On November 4, two new World Boxing Federation (WBF) Women’s Intercontinental champions, Helen Joseph and Terry Moss, were belted, the former in Atlanta and Moss in France.
Both new titlist were victorious in convincing fashion.
Former World champion turned trainer and promoter, Terry “The Boss” Moss, brought WBF championship boxing to Atlanta, Georgia, as US-based Nigerian Helen Joseph took on Elizabeth Anderson for the vacant WBF Womens Intercontinental Bantamweight title.
Joseph had little trouble handling Anderson, pummelling the Salt Lake City native in the first round before knocking her down in the second. Anderson was allowed to continue by referee George Chip, but her corner didn’t let her come out for the third round, making Joseph the winner by technical knockout.
With fights all over the world, including Togo, Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, Australia, Zambia and South Africa, besides Nigeria and the United States, Joseph is now 15-3-1 (10) in a career that started in 2004. Taking part in her first title bout, Anderson drops to 5-9 (1).
Quite impressively, just twenty-four hours after a capacity crowd saw WBF Womens World Super Bantamweight Champion Segolene Lefebvre retain her title only fifteen kilometres away in Douai, it was another sell-out in Henin-Beaumont, France, for local girl Oshin Derieuw´s WBF Intercontinental Light Welterweight title-challenge.
Derieuw, who entered the fight as WBF International ruler, was originally scheduled to face Lela Terashvili, but when the experienced Georgian pulled out ill less than a week from fight-night, old foe Aleksandra Vujovic from Serbia stepped in.
Having done well in their first encounter, despite losing a decision, Vujovic tried her hardest but was up against a much improved and superior opponent. Derieuw (30) put on a master-class, with excellent movement, reflexes, combinations and power.
In round six Derieuw scored a knock-down with a picture-perfect power-shot, but a game Vujovic beat the count of referee Mohamed Hireche and managed to get through the stanza. But it would soon be over, as the same happened again in round seven, and this time there was no getting up for the Serbian.
The new Intercontinental Light Welterweight champion proved without a shadow of a doubt that she is ready for the world stage, as she took her unblemished record to 7-0 (1). Vujovic, 3-5-1 (1), deserves plenty of credit for accepting the fight so late, and for giving her best effort.
