The Mobiliar Arena in Bern-Gümligen was the place to be at the weekend: boxing fans got their money's worth. The spotlight was on two protagonists in particular: Angelo "The One" Peña and Christopher "The Ruthless" Mouafo. Both celebrated convincing victories on this memorable evening and picked up their respective titles. But the event offered more than just technical masterpieces - it showed the unbridled passion and fighting spirit of the athletes and kept the spectators on the edge of their seats until the final bell.
Angelo Peña: A statement at Super Featherweight
Angelo Peña had the fight in his hands early on. Against the strong Japanese fighter Hiroki Hanabusa, the Bernese proved that he is not only technically brilliant, but has also matured mentally. The rigorous training under Cuban boxing legend Ismael Antonio Salas in Las Vegas paid off. Peña's fight preparation was rigorous, his strategy clear: no distractions, no gimmicks - just focussed boxing. This was impressively demonstrated in round 2, when Peña appeared to send Hanabusa to the floor with a precise uppercut, only the bell saved the Japanese fighter.
Despite his dominance, Peña gave his all once again in the final round and set a furious final signal, although his victory had long been clear on the scorecards. "That's just the way I am, I could box twelve rounds like that, why not?" he commented in the ring interview. He deservedly won the WBO Intercontinental Super Featherweight title and the crowd celebrated the local hero with frenetic applause. His manager Leander Strupler was satisfied and full of confidence: "Angelo risked a lot, but won everything. The world championship fight is getting closer."
Christopher Mouafo: "The Ruthless" on the road to success
Christopher Mouafo's fight for the Global Light title against the tenacious Jonniel Laurente from the Philippines was no less exciting. Laurente proved to be a tough opponent with good footwork, but Mouafo found the right tactics from the third round onwards. His precise combinations and hard right straights made the difference. Although Mouafo was briefly hampered by a bleeding lower lip, he remained composed and deserved his victory. The man from Biel dominated the fight with his powerful, aggressive approach and was rightly rewarded with the title.
Other fights: light and shade
Ramadan Hiseni's fight against Eugeniusz Makarczuk was less fortunate for the Swiss fighter. Hiseni, who actually started with high expectations, seemed inhibited throughout the fight and was unable to play to his strengths. Despite his reach, he allowed himself to be forced into the infight by the smaller and aggressive Pole, which ultimately led to a clear points defeat. It was a setback for Hiseni, who had raised high hopes after a strong performance in Canada.
Other fights of the evening, however, offered exciting action: Simon Vollmer and Tzemal Houseinoglu delivered a thrilling exchange of blows, with Vollmer ultimately clearly outboxing his opponent. There was a quick end to the light heavyweight bout when Georgi Svechev from Ticino knocked out his Romanian opponent Alexandru Crasnitchii in the third round.
The future of boxing in Switzerland
With this event,Swiss Pro Boxing, under the direction of Leander Strupler, has once again shown that Switzerland can offer boxing at a high level. Despite the strong performance of the athletes, however, one challenge remains: The Mobiliar Arena was unfortunately only half full. This was also due to the fact that many events were taking place all over Switzerland at the same time that weekend. Even if Strupler and his team leave nothing to be desired in terms of organisation, this shows that boxing in Switzerland still needs more attention and support in order to survive at the top level in the long term.
Planning for Boxing Day 2024 is already underway, and fans can look forward to seeing which stars and up-and-coming talents will be in the ring. The road to a world championship fight for Peña and Mouafo is still a long one, but with the right preparation and the tireless commitment they have shown so far, it is by no means unattainable.
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