Oxandia Castillo, Cecilia Braekhus

By:  Sauerland Promotion –

In the Norwegian main event of the evening, WBA, WBO & WBC Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (23-0, 7 KOs) confirmed her pound-for-pound number one rating with an impressive ninth-round TKO victory over previously unbeaten Oxandia Castillo (12-1, 9 KO). The WBO Female Light Middleweight Champion started out aggressively, but Braekhus took control early, cleverly outboxing her 18-year-old opponent. Soon she stamped her authority on the battle and picked Castillo apart with one-two punches – much to the delight of the many Norwegian fans in attendance. In the ninth, the referee eventually stepped in to save Castillo from further punishment.

“She should not have taken my belts after the press conference,” Braekhus said. “They are mine and mine alone. But let me add one thing: Oxandia is extremely talented and I am sure that she will be the pound-for-pound number one in a few years when I am retired. It was an extremely tough fight, she was very good, but I am happy I defeated her.”

Ceciliea33834092Said Castillo: “I want to congratulate Cecilia, she is the best in the world and she deserved to win tonight.”

Said Sauerland: “Cecilia is the pound-for-pound number one and she once again proved that tonight.”

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2013/nielsen-dominates-majewski-p4p1-braekhus-stops-castillo/

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The first meeting between WBA, WBC and WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (22-0, 6 KOs), the pound-for-pound number one, and WBO Light Middleweight Champion Oxandia Castillo (12-0, 9 KOs) came to a dramatic conclusion on Thursday afternoon. While the First Lady was giving interviews after the final press conference, Castillo grabbed the three belts and posed for pictures with them. “They will be mine on Saturday, I will take them home,” she said.

The clash of unbeaten champions at Arena Nord in Frederikshavn, Denmark is just two days away. “She should not have taken my belts, I am not happy about it,” Braekhus said. “I have never seen anyone do that before. Anyway, it´s the closest she will get to them. She will never touch them again. I will defend them on Saturday and take them back home with me.”

When promoter Nisse Sauerland heard about the happenings, he was shocked by the “disrespectful behaviour” of the 18-year-old.

“It is a big insult to take the belts,” Sauerland stated. “You have to earn the belts, you cannot just take them. Oxandia crossed a line and Cecilia will make her pay for it on Saturday night.”

On Saturday, Braekhus can once again be counting on the ferocious support from Norwegian and Danish fans. “The support in Frederikshavn has always been fantastic and we will put on a great fight on Saturday,” she stated. “It´s something special to fight here.”

Castillo is unimpressed by the prospect of entering an arena packed with a hostile crowd. “That´s no problem for me. When I knocked out Hanna Gabriel, I had no support either. I will be at my best on Saturday and win the titles.”

In the Danish main event, WBA Intercontinental Middleweight Champion Patrick (19-0, 9 KOs) Nielsen takes on Patrick Majewski (21-1, 13 KOs). The WBO Intercontinental Title will also be at stake. The Nordic Fight Night will be broadcast live across Scandinavia on the Viasat channels.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2013/castillo-steals-braekhuss-belts-at-press-conference-sauerland-disrespectful/

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Pound-for-pound number one Cecilia Braekhus (22-0, 6 KOs) will defend her WBA, WBC and WBO Female Welterweight Titles against WBO Female Light Middleweight Champion Oxandia Castillo (12-0-2, 9 KOs) at the Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn on September 7. Here is the latest from the First Lady prior to the clash of champions.

Q: It´s not long until the fight, how has the training been going?

CB: “Everything is going fine. We are training twice a day at the Max-Schmeling-Gym, normal training in the morning and then sparring in the afternoon. That´s very exhausting but just what I need to be in top shape. I need to be at my very best to beat an opponent like Oxandia.”

Q: Just like you, Oxandia is an unbeaten champion. She just shocked the boxing world with a KO win over Hanna Gabriel. What do you think of her?

CB: “She is young, hungry and very strong. That´s a dangerous mixture. She has a lot of power, so I must not get hit. In boxing, one punch can change the whole fight. I have to be very concentrated for the full ten rounds. I have a lot of respect for Oxandia. The way she defeated Gabriel was impressive.”

Q: Have you changed anything in your training routine to prepare for her?

CB: “Not really. We do little things differently all the time. This time, we wanted to add a little bit of strength, so we have worked on that. But you can´t really change too much. It´s important to keep your own style and make sure you are in top shape, which I will be on September 7.”

Q: It´s not often that you face fighters who are that much younger than you. What is that like?

CB: “It´s no problem. I am super fit, so even though she is younger, she won´t be in better shape. But I see a little bit of myself in her. I remember the time when I was 18, ready to take on the entire world. I wanted to be the number one and I wanted to fight everyone. I worked very hard to become world champion and the pound-for-pound number one. I won´t let her take that away from me.”

Q: What do you think of fighting in Frederikshavn again?

CB: “I love fighting in Frederikshavn. Arena Nord is a great place for boxing. The support of the Danish fans has always been fantastic. And of course there will be hundreds of Norwegians coming over, which really means a lot to me. It´s so good to have their support. Boxing is a great sport… for the athletes, the fans on TV and especially for the fans in attendance. It´s one of the great live sporting experiences. I want to invite all the Norwegian fans to come to Frederikshavn to see me fight Castillo. It will be a dramatic and exciting night.”

Tickets for the Nordic Fight Night are available at www.arenanord.dk. Fellow Norwegians Simen Smaadal and Tim-Robin Lihaug will also be in action.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2013/cecilia-braekhus-interview-it-will-be-a-dramatic-and-exciting-night-of-boxing/

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The Nordic Fight Night will return to Frederikshavn´s Arena Nord on Saturday, September 7. WBA, WBC & WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (22-0, 6 KOs) will headline against an opponent to be confirmed shortly. “It´s great to be fighting in Frederikshavn again,” the First Lady said. “The support has been phenomenal and I look forward to coming back.”
Braekhus has previously clinched two big victories in Frederikshavn. Last September, she defeated Anne-Sophie Mathis in the women´s fight of the year. In April, she stopped Mia St. John. “The victory over Mathis was one of the highlights of my career, and the atmosphere the Norwegian fans created was unforgettable. September 7 will be no different as I plan to celebrate another big win in front of a Norwegian home crowd.”

Said promoter Nisse Sauerland: “We are close to finalising a deal with Cecilia´s opponent and we will make an announcement as soon as everything is signed. All I can say at this time is that it will be an exciting fight which will push Cecilia to the limit. On top of that, we will once again present the very best of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish boxing.”

Undefeated Norwegian youngster Simeen Smaadal (6-0, 2 KOs) will also be in action. Tickets are on sale at www.arenanord.dk.

http://www.boxingscene.com/cecilia-braekhus-tops-sept-7th-card-arena-nord–66901