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2017
WORLD BOXING FEDERATION AWARDS |
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Fighter Of The Year |
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Patrick
Kinigamazi
(Rwanda /
Switzerland)
WBF World
Super
Featherweight
Champion.
Previous
Winners:
2016: Taylor
Mabika (Gabon).
2015: Alexander
Brand
(Colombia).
2014: Isaac
Rodrigues
(Brazil).
2013: Danie
Venter (South
Africa).
2012: Marco
Antonio Rubio
(Mexico).
2011: Michael
Grant (USA).
2010: Evander
Holyfield (USA).
2009: William
Gare (South
Africa).
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What a year it was for
Rwanda’s Patrick
Kinigamazi, simply the
very best of his 11-year
career by far. The
Switzerland-based
34-year-old sported an
excellent record this
time 12 months ago
(25-2), but aside from
Swiss and ABU titles at
lightweight, the rewards
for years in the ring
were meager.
Along came 2017. Patrick
first traveled to France
in February for a
narrow, but deserved
points win over 8 rounds
against decent home
fighter Ruben Gouveia
(10-2-1). A nice upset
surely, but it got much
better.
In June “King Kini”
picked up the WBF World
Super Featherweight
title, thrashing Juan
José Farias of Argentina
for a lopsided decision,
then rounded off his big
year by stopping
Hungarian Robert Laki
(14-1-1) in just five
rounds.
Without question,
Kinigamazi finally
arrived and now the WBF
world champion also has
the Fighter of the Year
award as confirmation
for his outstanding
success in
twenty-seventeen.
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Female Fighter Of
The Year |
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Segolene
Lefebvre
(France)
WBF World
Super Bantamweight
Champion.
Previous
Winners:
2016: Isabel
Millan (Mexico).
2015: Nicole
Wesner
(Germany).
2014: Eva
Voraberger
(Austria).
2013: Christina
Hammer
(Germany).
2012: Holly Holm
(USA). 2011:
Christina Hammer
(Germany).
2010: Ramona
Kuehne
(Germany).
2009: Natascha
Ragosina
(Russia).
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2016 ended very nicely
indeed for Segolene
Lefebvre from Douai in
France: She was 6-0, had
won the French Super
Featherweight title,
closed out the year by
winning the WBF
Intercontinental Super
Bantamweight belt and
the cherry on the cream
came in the form of the
WBF Female Newcomer of
the Year award.
Can it get better? It
sure did – as we
predicted here a year
ago. Rising to the
expectations, Segolene
had a smashing 2017.
In March, she crowned
herself WBF World Super
Bantamweight Champion
via a 9th-round stoppage
of Brazil’s Simone Da
Silva Duarte and in
November she defended
for the first time in a
true classic with
Mexico’s Naroyuki
Koasicha.
That typical boxer vs.
puncher match-up was so
close that the winner
was found in the
ultimate round only.
Lefebvre got the nod and
both amazon warriors got
a standing ovation from
the audience, such was
the quality of their
performances.
In between those two
outstanding ring
appearances, our Female
Fighter of the Year
scored yet another win,
albeit “just” a routine
6-round decision, over
Sara Marjanovic in a
marking time fight last
May.
So while “Sego” Lefebvre
had a very good 2016,
she easily topped it by
having a great 2017 to
deservedly clinch her
award.
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Fight Of The Year |
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Diego Diaz
Gallardo vs.
Michel Mothmora
World
Middleweight
Title (31.3 /
Martinique).
Previous
Winners:
2016:
Christopher
Sebire vs.
Martin Antonio
Coggi. 2015:
Jan Zaveck vs.
Sasha Yengoyan.
2014: Rafik
Harutjunjan vs.
Ilya Prymak.
2013: Laszlo
Toth vs. Giorgi
Ungiadze.
2012: Juan José
Montes vs. Oscar
Ibarra I.
2011: Ali Funeka
vs. Zolani
Marali I.
2010: Evander
Holyfield vs.
Francois Botha.
2009: Kreshnik
Qato vs. Fabio
Liggieri.
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The beautiful Caribbean
island of Martinique is
more known for
paradise-like beaches
rather than great
prizefights – but it was
Martinique who hosted on
March 31 the most
dramatic WBF world title
fight of 2017 when
Michel Mothmora’s
middleweight crown was
ripped off him by
Argentinian underdog
Diego Diaz Gallardo.
It was Mothmora’s
inaugural defense, but
Diaz Gallardo meant
business from the start,
knocking the champion
down with a big right to
the chin in the very
first round. From the
second on-wards, the
Frenchman successfully
suppressed his desire to
slug it out and – albeit
narrowly – started to
win rounds.
But Diego’s pressure
never ceased and slowly
took its toll. After the
seventh, the champ still
led 66:63 on all
scorecards. That said,
the match had already
turned back into a
slug-fest towards the
end of the previous
round.
Diaz Gallardo’s pressure
had already forced
Mothmora to the floor
twice for 8-counts, but
he came back with such
force that it was the
South American who
staggered back to his
corner on shaky legs.
However, the WBF world
champion was sold and
simply tired out from
his herculean effort in
round seven.
Twice he went down early
in the eighth before
referee Christophe
Hembert crowned Diego
Diaz Gallardo the new
titleholder by ending
what was to become the
WBF Fight of the Year
2017 thanks to a most
outstanding effort of
these two warriors.
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Female Fight Of The
Year |
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Bukiwe Nonina
vs. Alesia Graf
World
Bantamweight
Title (31.3 /
Cape Town).
Previous
Winners:
2016: Hyun Mi
Choi vs. Unathi
Myekeni.
2015: Gabisile
Tshabalala vs.
Unathi Myekeni.
2014: Rola El
Halabi vs.
Victoria
Cisneros.
2013: Raja
Amasheh vs. Eva
Voraberger.
2012: Holly Holm
vs. Anne Sophie
Mathis II.
2011: Christina
Hammer vs. Maria
Lindberg.
2010: Myriam
Lamare vs. Lucia
Morelli.
2009: Myriam
Lamare vs. Ann
Marie Saccurato.
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When 25-year-old Bukiwe
Nonina dared to get into
the ring against the
vastly more experienced
German veteran Alesia
Graf, not many put her
money on the South
African bantamweight
champion.
Considering that Nonina
was just 9-3-1 with her
best win coming in a
national title fight
against a 3-0
challenger, this seemed
reasonable assessment.
After all, Graf had a
decade more of ring
experience and was a
former world champion
with a stellar 29-5
record. And Alesia
didn’t perform bad nor
had an off-night that
March 31 night in
Khayelitsha, a small
township close to Cape
Town, more the opposite.
It was the fact that
Nonina rose to the
occasion that made this
a very memorable fight,
outstanding enough to be
our WBF Female Fight of
the Year 2017.
Graf was the aggressor,
while Nonina put in a
masterful display of
boxing and in the end it
was so close that if one
round would have been
scored differently, the
vacant WBF Womens world
bantamweight
championship would have
remained vacant.
As it was, Nonina won a
razor-thin but deserved
10-round decision, but
in reality both girl
warriors came out
winners, what to say
about the fans who
witnessed a great
battle.
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Newcomer Of The Year |
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Sherif Morina
(Germany)
Previous Winners:
2016: Malik
Zinad (Libya) &
André Valavanis
(Egypt).
2015: Frans
Ramabola (South
Africa).
2014: Zhang
Junlong (China).
2013: Timy Shala
(Austria).
2012: Timur
Akhundov
(Ukraine).
2011: Nadjib
Mohammedi
(France).
2010: Yvan Mendy
(France).
2009: Goran
Delic (Bosnia &
Hercegovina).
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At the start of last
year, Kosovo-born Morina
was a “so-what?”
beginner with three wins
over three guys that
anyone would be expected
to beat with ease. He
ended 2017 at 6-0, the
WBF International
welterweight title
around his waist and our
Newcomer of the Year
award – quite some
metamorphosis.
His step up began in
just his fourth pro
fight with a KO 4 over
Allan Kamote (26-10-5)
and finished with an
impressive 8th-round
stoppage over Tanzanian
champion Saidi Mundi,
who had lost just four
times in 25 previous
bouts.
If Sherif Morina
continues to develop at
this pace, a successful
2018 looms for him…and
quite likely more
championship belts.
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Female Newcomer Of
The Year |
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Oshin Derieuw
(France)
Previous Winners:
2016:
Segolene
Lefebvre
(France).
2015: Dan Bi Kim
(South Korea).
2014: Melanie
Zwecker
(Germany).
2013: Natalia
Smirnova
(Russia).
2012: Raja
Amasheh
(Germany).
2011: Zita
Zatyko
(Hungary).
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Once again, like in the
previous year, the
Female Newcomer of the
Year award goes to the
North of France, this
time in the person of
Oshin Derieuw – and
don’t be surprised if
like last year’s winner
Segolene Lefebvre, the
30-year-old Derieuw goes
on to become a world
champion in 2018.
Here’s a short recap of
the unbeaten Oshin’s
body of work over the
previous 12 months: It
started in April with a
6-round points win
against undefeated
Aleksandra Vujovic. One
month later, Derieuw
beat French rival Marion
Montanari on a 10-round
shutout to get her hands
on the WBF International
lightwelterweight belt.
Finally, in November she
rematched Vujovic with
the vacant WBF
Intercontinental title
on the line. The
performance Derieuw put
in that night is the
essence of why she is a
top candidate for higher
honors.
She moved and boxed, she
feinted and weaved, she
showed an array of
punches from a variety
of angles, what to speak
of superb ring
generalship, and
finished the fight,
after scoring an earlier
knockdown, with a clean
KO in the seventh round.
Keep an eye on Oshin,
7-0 (4), this year. It
promises to be worth it.
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Promoter Of The Year |
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Nisse Sauerland
(Germany)
Previous Winners:
2016: Kenji
Maki (Japan).
2015: Mbali
Zantsi (South
Africa).
2014: Dexter T.
Tan
(Philippines).
2013: Oliver
Heib & Bernhard
Notar (Germany).
2012: Oswaldo
Kuchle & Hector
Garcia (Mexico).
2011: Damian
Michael (South
Africa).
2010: Ylli
Ndroqi
(Albania).
2009: Ulf
Steinforth
(Germany).
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Nisse, from the
Sauerland promotional
family dynasty founded
by his father and
Hall-of-Famer Wilfried
in the early 80ies, is
yet another boxing
powerhouse promoter to
associate with the World
Boxing Federation.
In what thus was his
initial year with the
WBF, Nisse Sauerland
staged two important
championships during
2017.
In March, he featured
the vacant WBF world
heavyweight title on a
show in Denmark and in
July in Germany the
third WBF Womens world
lightweight title
defense of undefeated
Nicole Wesner.
Not a bad start, and you
bet we do hope it was a
start. In any case,
Sauerland made enough of
an impact in the past
year to warrant being
the WBF Promoter of the
Year for 2017.
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Presidents Special
Service Award |
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Francois Botha
(S.A.) & Uwe
Hueck (Germany)
Previous
Winners:
2016: Johnny
Najjar (USA).
2015: Dr. Adam
Balogh (Germany).
2014: André
Martin (France).
2013: Jennifer
Salinas
(Bolivia).
2012: Oliver
Heib & Bernhard
Notar (Germany).
2011: Dr.
Humbert Furgoni
(France).
2010: John
Sheppard
(England).
2009: Anila Qato
(Albania).
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Yes, at first view it’s
an odd choice for 2017’s
Special Service Award of
the WBF President, but
former WBF world
heavyweight champion
Francois “The White
Buffalo” Botha and the
Chairman of Porsche’s
Workers Council from
Germany, Uwe Hueck,
hooked up, literally,
for something truly
worthwhile last year.
In late 2015, these two
boxed 8-rounds in a
so-called charity fight
in Germany, with WBF
boss Howard Goldberg
being the referee, in
aid of a children’s
foundation supported by
Hueck. In March of 2017,
on the same card as two
WBF world title fights,
the pair met again, with
Hueck returning the
favour to Botha by
coming to Khayeltisha, a
township near Cape Town.
Again, the two “old
geezers” laced on the
gloves once more. The
“result” doesn’t matter,
what mattered was that
Botha and Hueck raised
enough money to fully
equip six (!) gyms in
the boxing-crazy
township.
Furthermore, Porsche
simultaneously launched
their outreach program,
which affords the
opportunity to young
adults, to be enrolled
in the Porsche program
culminating in
employments with Porsche
and Volkwagen once they
have graduated.
This program is worth a
huge amount to the South
African economy. For
this incredible event,
and for the willingness
of both Uwe Hueck and
Francois Botha to do the
charity fight the
President’s Special
Service award is given
jointly to them.
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Trainer Of The Year |
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Giorgio
Costantino
(Switzerland)
Previous Winners:
2016: William
Guillaume
(France).
2015: Artur
Grigorian
(Germany).
2014: Ulysses
Pereira
(Brazil).
2013: Juan
Carlos Contreras
(Mexico).
2012: Alan
Toweel (South
Africa).
2011: Dirk
Dzemski
(Germany).
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Granted, it’s easy to be
honored as Trainer of
the Year, when the boxer
he handles is the
Fighter of the Year and
reigns as WBF world
champion. But that’s not
the point why Swiss
coach Giorgio
Costantino, who handles
the training of Patrick
Kinigamazi, is this
year’s choice among
many.
Consider this: Prior to
Kinigamazi being crowned
WBF superfeatherweight
champion of the world,
his record stood at 26-2
with only four of his
wins coming inside the
distance. In fact, it
was almost five years
(!) since an opponent of
his failed to hear the
final bell.
It’s not clear what
exactly Costantino did,
but suddenly with the
WBF title on the line
for his charge, the
story-line of his often
boring fights changed
dramatically.
Argentina’s Juan José
Farias kissed the canvas
five times in 12 rounds,
losing a lopsided
decision, and when
Kinigamazi defended in
November, Hungarian
Robert Laki also went
down five times in less
than five rounds.
That’s a staggering 10
knockdowns in 17 rounds!
So until the world has
figured out how Giorgio
Costantino turned a
feather fist into a jojo
sensation, he’s
certainly worth being
WBF Trainer of the Year.
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Referee Of The Year |
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Tony Weeks (USA)
Previous
Winners:
2016: Zbigniew
Lagosz (Poland).
2015: Bertrand
Chagnoux
(France).
2014: Brahim Ait
Aadi (Belgium).
2013: Edward
Marshall (South
Africa).
2012: Tonio
Tiberi
(Luxembourg).
2011: Juan José
Ramirez (Mexico).
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Since around two
decades, Las
Vegas-resident Tony
Weeks is considered a
top-class referee. On
world level, mind you.
In 2017, Weeks arrived
at the WBF and did so in
style.
He was the third man in
the ring at two WBF
world championships in
Mexico (one male, one
female) as well as one
WBF Intercontinental
championship in the
Philippines.
Possibly you didn’t
notice him, but that
only tells you how good
the man is at what he
does. We are certainly
proud that the WBF is
not only enticing
fantastic boxers, but
also fantastic
officials.
Welcome in the WBF
family, Tony Weeks, WBF
Referee of the Year
2017.
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Administrator Of The Year |
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Sergio Sotelo (Mexico)
Previous
Winners:
2016:
Christophe
Hembert (France).
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Sergio Sotelo is with
the World Boxing
Federation since 2010
and after two low-key
years with lots of
ground work, he had his
coming-out party with 18
WBF championships,
mainly in Mexico, during
2012.
The best that could
happen to him? Yes and
no. Yes, because it
proved his value and
made him one of the most
important WBF
administrators. No,
because suddenly some
other organization,
whose name we won’t
mention here, felt
threatened in their very
own territory.
Suddenly, promoters in
Mexico were free to
choose their affiliation
and turned to the WBF,
tired of all those
things that give boxing
a bad name. Ever since,
Sotelo is watched, WBF
fights are attacked by
threats, boycotts and
blackmailing.
Still, Sotelo is
battling on and does a
great job to keep the
WBF flag up and flying.
We could well do with
more people with his
backbone and resilience.
That’s why Sergio Sotelo
is our Administrator of
the Year.
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