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02/09/2006
Souleymane M'baye TKO4 Raul Balbi... In his second attempt at world honors, Souleymane M'baye claimed the WBA 140 pound title with a fourth-round stoppage of Raul Balbi in the UK. M'baye picked up the belt that that world champion Ricky Hatton relinquished earlier in the year. M'baye suffered a cut near his eye in the first round, but he would not be denied, flooring Balbi in the second and fourth rounds before winning by technical knockout. M'baye is now 35-1, with the lone loss coming in 2003 when he bid for the same title against Vivian Harris. Balbi, a former lightweight titlist, is now 54-8-1 and probably finished as a serious contender. M'baye won a WBA eliminator in 2004 but for reasons too complicated to explain in a single paragraph, his opportunity didn't arrive until today. He made the most of his second chance. Part of that delay resulted in federal litigation against the WBA, so M'baye now finds himself in the very unusual situation of holding a title from an organization that he is currently suing. source: the sporting life
