On September 9th in the Club Defensores De Villa Lujan, San Miguel, Argentina an in form Anahi Esther Sanchez 17(9)-2(1)-0 defeated Cecilia Sofia Mena now 10(5)-2(1)-1 to take home the WBA World Female Lightweight title. This fight had been originally scheduled to take place on August 4th but was rescheduled at short notice due to Mena presenting a medical report stating that she has a urinary infection and could not fight.
With Mena having not fought a pro fight since 2014, it showed. Personally I believe she should have fought at least once before this fight after such a long layoff to get her back up to the level she should be at shaking off any ring rust along the way.
In contrast to Mena’s inactivity, Sanchez had been fighting nonstop since 2013, winning her first 13 fights picking up the interim WBA World Female Featherweight Title and the vacant IBF World Female Super Featherweight Title during this time before she lost by unanimous decision to Eva Wahlstrom going for the WBC World Female Super Featherweight Title. Sanchez lost by TKO earlier this year going for the IBF World Female Super Featherweight Title. But a comeback fight seen her win in style and put her in the frame for another world title fight which she won using Mena’s recent inactivity to her advantage with a TKO in the 6th round.
With Sanchez’s victory, she will have to face Ireland’s own Katie Taylor who is now number one contender for her title. Taylor’s promoter Eddie Hearn said recently “We’re going to box on October 28th, then I want her to defend the world title in America, and I’d like her to come back on Paddy’s Day weekend to fight in Ireland.” Since these comments Taylor has been widely tipped to be on the under card for the Anthony Joshua’s IBF and WBA heavyweight title defence against Kubrat Pulev which has been confirmed for Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on October 28.
Since Taylor became the number one contender for the WBA World Female Lightweight title, Hearn has been very confident in his words looking not only at Taylor’s next fight but the following two fights after that, the fear is if he looks too far beyond Taylor’s next fight his complacency might rub off onto Taylor and she may not give her next opponent the respect she deserves.