It was an intense, thrilling battle full of twists and turns last night at the PalaDozza in Bologna, where Italy’s Pamela Noutcho Sawa faced Argentina’s Karen Elizabeth Carabajal. After ten fiercely contested rounds, Noutcho narrowly prevailed on points to capture the IBO lightweight title. The verdict came by Split Decision, with official scorecards reading 95–94 for Noutcho, 94–95 for Carabajal, and 97–92 for Noutcho.
The opening two rounds followed a similar and rather intriguing pattern. Both started with Noutcho launching a blazing assault, pinning her rival against the ropes and landing heavy shots. However, in both cases, Carabajal stoically weathered the storm and came back with determination midway through the round, keeping things wide open.
Noutcho quickly realized that unlike many of her previous opponents, the South American fighter wouldn’t be intimidated by her physical power and would always answer blow for blow. From the third round onward, the Italian tightened her defense and began boxing with greater caution.
In the fourth, Noutcho even tried an unusual counterpunching approach but soon reclaimed the center of the ring, looking much more comfortable on the front foot.
After an extremely even first half, Carabajal tried to seize control by dramatically increasing her work rate. She dominated the sixth round, with Noutcho rarely finding space or rhythm, landing only one clean right hand in the final seconds.
Carabajal’s momentum peaked with a strange knockdown early in the seventh. Following a somewhat messy exchange, Noutcho lost balance, momentarily turned her back, and was caught by a punch she didn’t see coming. Even after several replays, it remains unclear whether the referee’s count was entirely justified.
Ironically, what could have been the turning point for Carabajal became the spark for Noutcho’s remarkable comeback. Angered and motivated, she responded with tremendous heart, finishing the seventh round strongly and dominating much of the eighth with relentless, fearless aggression. Her attacks weren’t always pretty, but they were effective enough to smother Carabajal’s offense.
A severe swelling appeared on the Argentine’s right cheekbone, which the ringside doctor deemed non-critical — a surprising decision that allowed the fight to continue as Noutcho kept pressing in the ninth.
Just when it seemed Carabajal had nothing left, she found one last surge of pride, fighting an emotional final round with desperation and courage, while Noutcho visibly paid the price for her earlier exertion.
With full honesty, I must admit that at the final bell, I had Carabajal slightly ahead. That said, it wasn’t a robbery or a scandal — several rounds were razor-close and could have gone either way, making such a narrow win for either fighter perfectly acceptable.
However, I found judge Alessandro Roda’s scorecard of 97–92 for Noutcho completely out of line, failing to reflect the balance of the fight and leaving a faint taste of hometown bias that boxing fans know all too well.
Nevertheless, Pamela earned her victory — she showed grit, heart, and determination, seizing a belt that remained within reach of both women until the end. She did it against a far more experienced opponent who had already proven her worth on the world stage.
Hopefully, this prestigious triumph will serve as a springboard rather than a finish line. Noutcho currently tops the IBF lightweight rankings and, after this win, is bound to climb significantly in the WBO standings, where she previously sat eighth and Carabajal first.
Everything now points toward the possibility of a thrilling showdown for one of the four major world titles. Noutcho has proven she has the technical, physical, and mental tools to take that leap — and it’s safe to say all of Italy’s boxing fans would be ready to rally behind her.