UPDATED: Norway’s champion boxer Cecilia Brækhus successfully defended her titles over the weekend, after  winning her latest match against Myriam Lamare of France. It marked Brækhus’ 24th professional victory, boosted her plans for a new match in the US and set off more jubilation.sz9676b9-e1391336734871

Norwegian boxer Cecilia Brækhus waves the flag after winning her latest match and defending her titles once again in Denmark, not in Norway, where boxing remains illegal. PHOTO: Vegard Grøtt / NTB Scanpix

“The only reason she (the 39-year-old Lamare) was still standing was her 20 years of experience,” Brækhus, age 32, told state broadcaster NRK’s website with a laugh late Saturday night.

Lamare literally put up quite a fight at the beginning of Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn, Denmark, but Brækhus held out and knocked her down during the seventh round. Lamare got up again, but NRK’s commentators claimed she was noticeably weaker and the match ended after 10 rounds.

Braekhus(Photo by:  Photo Wende)

Lamare smiled bravely afterwards and claimed she’d been through tougher matches, but she graciously praised her opponent’s performance. “Cecilia was very strong, and an incredibly good boxer,” Lamare told reporters. “For me, the time has come to step down. I wish Cecilia all the best in her career.”

Brækhus has a new coach, Otto Ramin, and she said the match reflected that they’d only worked together for six weeks, “but we have trained explosively, and that came through in the match,” Brækhus told NRK.

Ramin himself seemed satisfied with his new pupil, who retained her unofficial international title as the world’s “First Lady” of boxing. “She fought a very good match,” Ramin said. “She was smart and boxed wisely.”

Haven’t given up on a match against Holm
Now Brækhus seems more keen than ever to box at a title match in the US, and her promoter Nisse Sauerland told newspaper Aftenposten that they’re working once again to lure former champion Holly Holm back into the ring. Sauerland said Brækhus “deserves” to show what she can do in the US.

“We’re working to set up a match in Las Vegas or New York,” Sauerland said. “We have said, though, that we won’t send Cecilia to Holm’s hometown of Albuquerque.”

Saturday’s match played out once again in Denmark, since boxing is banned in Norway and Brækhus isn’t legally allowed to conduct her sport in her own homeland. There have been moves to change that and regardless, Brækhus, who grew up in Bergen,  said she thinks her future “looks very bright.” She was thrilled by the reaction of fans who traveled to Frederikshavn to see her in action.

“I have had many tough matches, but the support here is great,” said Brækhus, adding that she already was looking forward to new training sessions. “To stand up in the ring with that kind of support behind me is just unreal.”

http://www.newsinenglish.no/2014/02/02/braekhus-prevails-once-again/

 

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On February 1st, WBA, WBC and WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (23-0, 7 KOs), the pound-for-pound number one, will defend her titles against Myriam Lamare (22-3, 10 KOs) at the Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn. We have caught up with the First Lady to go the full 10 rounds with her.   0 – zero losses on her record. “And I intend to keep it that way,” Braekhus said.   1 – pound-for-pound the First Lady is the number one female fighter in the world. Whether The Ring or BoxRec, they all consider Braekhus the best. “This means so much to me,” she said. “It is such a tremendous honour.’’   2 – two fists have paved the First Lady´s path to glory. “I can´t say that I prefer the throw the right or the left. I need both of them because I think my combinations are my biggest weapon.”   3 – world titles. Braekhus holds the belts of the WBA, WBC and WBO.   4 – Saturday´s Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn will be the fourth time Braekhus fights at the Arena Nord. “It has become my second home,” she said. “It´s great to be supported by so many Norwegians. They make a lot of noise and give me extra motivation in the ring. I want to give them another great experience on February 1st.”   5 – five of ten, the half – half of Norway saw the Braekhus victory over Oxandia Castillo last September (50 percent market share on Viasat 4). “There is nothing like the feeling to know that your family, friends and fans back home watch you. I feel like I also fight for them, that I would let them down if I didn´t do well. That´s why I always prepare 100 percent.”   6 – six times the experienced Lamare has entered the ring as the challenger in a world title fight.   7 – knock-outs on the First Lady´s record. “You cannot really plan to win by KO,” she said. “It just happens.”   8 – Braekhus has just entered her eighth year as a pro. She made her first fight in Basle, Switzerland on January 20, 2007. “I was always very determined and wanted to be a world champion, but never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined to have a career like this,” she said. “Sometimes I still think I am dreaming.”   9 – In round nine, Braekhus clinched a spectacular KO victory over previously unbeaten champ Oxandia Castillo. “This was a great win against an up-and-coming fighter,” Braekhus said. “Castillo is a deserving champion in a different weight class but she will never get my belts.”   10 – number of rounds her title clash with Myriam Lamare is scheduled for. “I am prepared to go the distance,” Braekhus said. “Lamare is a very experienced and very strong opponent who has fought 10 rounds many times. This makes her dangerous. But I will be prepared for her.”

Cecilia Braekhus will be conducting a special Q&A session from Frederikshavn this evening at 18.00, answering fans’ questions live via her Facebook page – www.facebook.com/ceciliabrakhus.

The Nordic Fight Night will be broadcast live on Viasat 4 from 19.30-00.30. Tickets are available via arenanord.dk.

Article Link –  http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=74129#ixzz2rn3dvMTY
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Today in Norway, WBA, WBC & WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus kicked off fight week with a crowded press conference at the Viasat offices in Oslo. The pound-for-pound number one faces Myriam Lamare on Saturday night at the Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn.

”I’m really looking forward to this fight,” said Braekhus. ”I haven’t been in the ring for a while so I’m excited to be back and facing such a quality opponent. It will be a great way to start the year!     ”Since my last fight I have been working with a new trainer Otto Ramin. Although I was sad to leave my old team, it has been good to be able to train with someone who is able to focus on me full time.

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”I am expecting a very tough fight. Lamare is fit and hungry. She has said that she has been studying all of my fights, and I hear she is arriving early and bringing her own chef, so she is definitely coming to Frederikshavn to win.   ”I feel good! My training has gone very well. I am in a new and exciting position with a new team around me. I am looking forward to a great fight against a tough opponent.”

cecilia braekhus (6)Braekhus was joined on the podium by her new coach Otto Ramin and promoter Nisse Sauerland.

Said Ramin: ”It has been fun to work with Cecilia. She loves boxing, she is extremely professional and she is dedicated to learning new things and getting better. She is a three-time world champion for a reason, she is the best in the world but I believe she can still improve. We’ve been focusing on her strengths – her great technical and tactical skills – and we’re keen to make her even better.”

Said Sauerland: ”Lamare is possibly the toughest opponent out there for Cecilia at the moment. She is an experienced fighter and a proven champion. There is no doubt that she is taking this fight seriously. She will be staying in a separate flat away from the city to avoid distractions and is even bringing her own chef. This will be an interesting test for the ‘First Lady’.”

Braekhus vs. Lamare tops an action packed Nordic Fight Night bill at the Arena Nord in Frederikshavn. The show will be broadcast live on Viasat 4 from 19.30-00.30. Tickets are available via arenanord.dk.

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-cecilia-braekhus-press-conference-oslo–74077

 

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Norwegian boxers Tim-Robin Lihaug (5-1, 4 KOs) and Alexander Hagen (3-0) both believe WBA, WBC & WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (23-0, 7 KOs) will prove too much for Myriam Lamare (22-3, 10 KOs) when the pair meet at the Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn on February 1st.

”I predict that Cecilia will win on points or stop Lamare in the later rounds,” said Lihaug. ”She is the greatest female boxer of all time and I think that she will be too good and too clever for Lamare. To win, all Cecilia must do is go out there, be her self and execute her game plan.”

”I think there’s a big possibility that Cecilia will win by knockout,” said Hagen. ”She is younger than Lamare, so will be able to use this to her advantage and lay on the pressure from the very first bell. Although Lamare is very experienced and knows her way around the ring I believe that Cecilia will be too explosive for her.”

Lihaug and Hagen will both be in action alongside the pound-for-pound number one at the Arena Nord. A travelling army of fans are expected to make the trip over to Frederikshavn to cheer on the Norwegian trio. The increased popularity of boxing in Norway is something that both men attribute to the ”First Lady”.

Said Lihaug: ”Cecilia is a great ambassador for boxing in Norway. She is one of the most famous athletes in the whole country and everyone just loves her. Boxing is becoming more and more popular and I believe the biggest reason for this is Cecilia.”

Said Hagen: ”Cecilia has done a very good job for boxing in Norway. She’s paved the way for everyone else. The fact that she has made it to the top, despite being from this little country called Norway which forbids professional boxing, is very inspiring for me and all the boxers in Norway.”

The Nordic Fight Night will be broadcast on Viasat 4 in Norway. Tickets are available at arenanord.dk.

Read more at http://www.boxingnews24.com/2014/01/braekhus-likely-to-beat-lamare/#LgwrAtVIT9EfJf5x.99

 

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The Nordic Fight Night in Frederikshavn has been postponed by two weeks due to an eye injury sustained by WBA, WBC & WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (23-0, 7 KOs). The pound-for-pound number one will now face Myriam Lamare (22-3, 10 KOs) at the Arena Nord on February 1.

“When it comes down to a fighter´s health, we cannot take any risks,” said promoter Nisse Sauerland. “The doctors have ordered Cecilia to sit out practice for ten days, which made it impossible for her to be in top shape on January 18. At the highest level, losing two weeks in the middle of your preparation is a nightmare. Against a world-class opponent like Lamare, Cecilia needs to be at 100 percent, not 90, 80 or 70.

“We want to apologize to the fans who have already bought tickets and hope that they will be able to join us on the new date. All fights will remain the same.”

Said Braekhus: “I am very sorry about the postponement but there is nothing I could do about it. I was gutted when I picked up the injury in sparring. I´ve been forced to postpone fights before, like against Anne Sophie Mathis due to my tonsillitis. Believe me, it is the worst feeling in the world. You feel like you let down your fans. So I was very disappointed at first but I am relieved that the postponement is for only two weeks and that my team has been able to set the new date quickly.

“I hope that all my fans will still come over to Frederikshavn and support me. Lamare is a very tough opponent, I couldn´t fight her without a proper preparation. My fitness and my hard training have always given me an edge over my opponents. I´ll now take a little break and then return to practice to get in shape for Lamare.”

Tickets for the January 18 date can be refunded until January 10.

http://www.boxingscene.com/cecilia-braekhus-myriam-lamare-pushed-back-feb-1–73020