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Russia's boxer Baisangurov retains world champion title

Zaurbek Baisangurov of Russia has defended the World Boxing Organization world champion title in the 69.9-kilogram class
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

KIEV, October 7 (Itar-Tass) —— Zaurbek Baisangurov of Russia has defended the World Boxing Organization world champion title in the 69.9-kilogram class. He won the 12-round fight with Czech Lukas Konecny.

All the referees agreed the Russian was the winner -- 119:109, 117:111 and 118:110. Thus, the 27-year-old boxer for the second time defended the title he holds since last May.

It is his 28th win (20 with knockouts), with one defeat. Konecny, 34, had the fourth defeat with 48 wins (23 with knockouts).

The boxers met in the fourth attempt. At first, the sides did not agree in December 2008, and Baisangurov had his first defeat from American Cornelius Bundrage, who later became an International Boxing Federation world champion.

Last May, the WBO organized a match for the interim world champion title between the Russian and the Czech, but Konecny had a fight with Hussein Bayram of France, defended the European champion title and became a challenger for Ukrainian Sergei Dzinziruk, the then regular world champion. The Ukrainian was injured, and the planned fight was canceled. The title was vacant and automatically "interim champion Baisangurov was declared "permanent", and Konecny became a challenger for Baisangurov.

The fight was planned for March 2012, but the Russian received a back injury, and the match was postponed. After that, the Czech won the interim title, and Baisangurov conducted a voluntary defence, winning the fight with Michel Soro of France.

Baisangurov is one of Russia's three world champions, together with Denis Lebedev (the interim title of the World Boxing Association in the 90.72 kilogram class) and Alexander Povetkin (the WBA regular title in the super heavy class).