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While it was Anne Sophie Da
Costa who came in as the
reigning World Boxing Federation
(WBF) Womens World Strawweight
Champion, and the fight took
place in her hometown of Reims,
France, it was Mexican
challenger Yesenia Martinez
Castrejon who started their
fight best by far on Saturday
night, November 9.
Castrejon took the fight to Da
Costa, who in the first few
rounds looked besides herself
and surprised by the
aggressiveness and hard punching
of the visitor. Da Costa tried
hard to take control, and slowly
started to find her rhythm in
the fourth.
After six rounds it was
anybody’s fight, but in round
seven the champion really found
her groove and started to pull
away with more precision and a
higher work rate. Da Costa was
at that point fighting with more
aggression and urgency than
Castrejon, who was still
dangerous, especially with her
overhand right and
body-punching.
Going into the last round it
still looked as if the fight
could go either way, as many
rounds were close and hard to
score. Da Costa finished best,
but both boxers put on a
magnificent performance and the
crowd, which included WBF Womens
World Super Welterweight
Champion Anne Sophie Mathis,
seemed unsure if their local
favorite had managed to keep the
world title in France.
Judge Jean Marcel Nartz scored
the bout a 95-95 draw, but
Vincent Dupas and Jacqui
Valliant had it 97-93 for Da
Costa, scoring two more of those
close rounds for the reigning
champion.
A jubilant Anne Sophie Da Costa
(31) remained undefeated and
improved her professional record
to 16-0 (7), while the very game
and determined Yesenia Martinez
Castrejon falls to a deceiving
15-13 (9) after an admirable
effort. At only 24 years of age,
she should get a new opportunity
at a world title in the future.
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