Press release: Boxing championesse Regina Halmich made a successful start into 2005 for promoter Universum. On the first boxing event of this year the 28-year-old German beat Maryling Hernandez by unanimous decision and successfully defended her WIBF flyweight title by scores of 100-91 and 100-92 (twice).

A convincing 46th victory in her 48th professional contest was important to Halmich after she escaped with her first career draw in her last fight on September 11 against American Elena Reid. The woman from Karlsruhe faced harsh criticism after that bout.

Halmich’s dominant win over Hernandez was already the 35th time she came out victorious in a world title fight while Hernandez dropped to 9-4. 

Successful comeback for heavyweight Juan Carlos Gomez

In the co-main event between two big guys, Heavyweight Juan Carlos Gomez defeated David Defiagbon with a dramatic third round stoppage in Magdeburg, Germany on Saturday.  Gomez, coming off a first-round TKO loss to Yamplier Azcuy, showed no ring rust from his half-year layoff when he went after Defiagbon from the opening bell and rocked his foe straight left hands. Despite the dominance of Gomez, the fight became dramatic when the Cuban’s left eye suddenly swelled shut after an accidential clash of heads in round two. Gomez came out firing with both hands in round three because he feared a stoppage by the ringside doctor. After hurting Defiagbon over and again with power shots to the head, sending his opponent staggering around the ring, the referee intervened at 2:58 of round 3 to stop the one sided punishment. Gomez entered the bout as Boxingtalk's #39 rated heavyweight but will be promoted in next week's update.

Juan Carlos Gomez was reigning as WBC cruiserweight champion from 1998 to 2001 under the banner of Universum Box-Promotion and was regarded as by far the best fighter at 190 lb. Later the Cuban and the German promoter split ways. During that period Gomez fought only twice between 2003 and 2004, winning once and losing once. At the end of last year promoter and boxer reunited and agreed on new terms.

Gomez is now 38-1 with 32 knockouts. DeFiagbon dropped to 21-2 with 12 knockouts.

Successful comeback also for middleweight contender Bert Schenk

Also celebrating a successful comeback after a layoff of half a year was middleweight contender Bert Schenk who knocked out Frenchman Hamid Bouhembel in round 3.

After he went through a long streak of unlucky injuries Schenk, a former WBO champion, is now running out of time at age 34. The athletic German middleweight contender is in need of a strong final spurt to finally get him a title fight in 2005. While he scored twelve wins in a row, eleven of them by knockout, his winning streak was repeatedly interrupted by injuries. He is currently ranked WBA #3, IBF #8 and WBO #7.

In Magdeburg Schenk scored a knockdown with a left cross in the opening round and improved his record to 36-1 with 23 knockouts. Hamid Bouhembel dropped to 7-14-2 with 5 knockouts.

ALL RESULTS 

WIBF Flyweight Championship:
Regina Halmich W10 Marylin Hernandez
(100:92, 100:92, 100:91)

Heavyweight:
Juan Carlos Gomez TKO3 (2:58) David DeFiagbon

Middleweight:
Bert Schenk TKO3 (1:54) Hamid Bouhembel

Heavyweight:
Denis Boytsov KO1 (1:44) Ladislav Slezak

Welterweight:
Jan Zaveck KO4 (1:56) Martine Kukula

German Flyweight Championship:
Julia Sahin W10 Maja Frenzel
(100:90, 99:91, 100:90)

Super Bantamweight:
Alesia Graf TKO5 Dayana Santana
(Die Betreuer von Santana geben den Kampf in der Pause zur 5. Runde auf)

Super Middleweight:
Natascha Ragosina W4 Borislava Goranva

Flyweight:
Susianna Kentikian W4 Iliana Boneva