Sturm defeats Masoe for WBA regular title

11/03/2006

Sturm defeats Masoe for WBA regular title

Results from Universum's big show

Felix Sturm W12 Maselino Masoe... Middleweight contender Felix Sturm captured the WBA regular title at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg, Germany. Sturm decisioned Maselino Masoe, the reigning champion despite Masoe's nearly two years of inactivity. Sturm won by scores of 117-111 (twice) and 115-113. Although Jermain Taylor holds the WBA super championship and general recognition as world middleweight champion, Sturm can now claim to be a two-time world title holder, as he beat Hector Velazco in a bout sanctioned for the WBO title in 2003. Although he has never officially beaten an elite middleweight, almost everyone who saw Sturm's 2004 loss to Oscar De La Hoya thinks that the German was robbed. Perhaps Sturm will feel ready to leave Germany to face the Taylor-Winky Wright winner this fall.  source: Universum website

Wladimir Sidorenko D12 Ricardo Cordoba... On the same show, Wladimir Sidorenko, barely kept his WBA bantamweight championship against Ricardo Cordoba in a dramatic fight with a close majority draw verdict over twelve rounds. The official scores were 114-114 twice and 118-111 for Sidorenko. The challenger lost by split-decision to Thailand's Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym in August, so the Thai may get the next shot at Sidorenko, 18-01. Cordoba is now 27-1-1 and no doubt will claim a beef with the judge who scored it so far in Sidorenko's favor. source: Universum website

Ruslan Chagaev W12 Vladimir Virchis... In a battle between two heavyweights who showed perhaps too much respect for each other's power, Ruslan Chagaev emerged with a majority win over Vladimir Virchis in a battle of two prized European prospects. The scores were 115-114, 116-112 and 114-114 on the Hamburg undercard. Chagaev is now 20-0-1 with 16 knockouts and can move on to bigger fights. Virchis dropped to 20-1 with 17 knockouts but should not be discounted off this close loss. source: Universum website