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Abass Baraou (l.) in the fight against Sam Eggington
Photo: Andrew Boyers / Action Images / Reuters
The German professional boxer Abass Baraou has secured the European super welterweight title.
The 29-year-old won the continental title fight on points against local hero Sam Eggington late on Friday evening in Telford, England.
Baraou, a professional from Wasserman Boxing, can hope for a world championship fight soon.
The World Boxing Association (WBA) had decided before the duel that it would be held as a World Cup elimination bout.
"It's been a long road, I can't believe I've made it this far," Baraou said through tears in an interview on the DAZN streaming service.
»I had to overcome many challenges.«
15th win in 16th professional fight
Against the 30-year-old Eggington, Baraou began to dominate the fight after the sixth of twelve rounds.
The current number seven in the WBA acted courageously, with good footwork and hard punches.
His opponent suffered a clearly visible cut above his eye.
For Baraou it was the 15th victory in the 16th professional fight and the greatest success of his career to date.
Among amateurs, Baraou became European champion and third in the World Cup in 2017.
The following year he signed a professional contract and was forced to leave his homeland.
“As a boxer, you can only train in Germany,” he told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”.
"If you want to reach the next level, you have to go where boxing is still booming." In 2019 he moved to London and is now training in Miami.
mlb/dpa