The fight for the EBU European Female Lightweight Title between Pamela Noutcho Sawa and Martina Righi, headlining the event organized by Mario Loreni’s Promo Boxe at the Palasport Biondi in Ferrara, lasted less than a round. That was all it took for reigning champion Noutcho to land the decisive right hand and force the referee to stop the contest. The 32-year-old from Bologna successfully defended her belt for the first time after claiming it last October by defeating Serbian Nina Pavlovic.
Born in Cameroon but living in Italy since the age of eight—and finally Italian by law after receiving citizenship in 2022—Noutcho came out aggressively, pressing her opponent from the opening bell.
The challenger didn’t back down and tried to counter the champion’s relentless pressure with well-timed shots. Noutcho left noticeable openings during her wild assaults, but although Righi managed to catch her with a few clean rights, she lacked the accuracy and power needed to slow down the champion’s charge.
Righi’s willingness to trade blow for blow, though admirable, worked against her. A more conservative game plan—letting the champion burn energy in the early rounds and then coming on later—might have served her better. Instead, adrenaline got the better of her, and she decided to exchange punches in the center of the ring. That decision proved fatal.
A beautifully timed right hand from Noutcho landed flush on Righi’s chin, dropping her to the canvas with just ten seconds remaining in the first round. Righi looked shaken and took a few seconds to regain her composure and rise to her feet. In truth, she beat the referee’s count.
However, referee Giovanni Poggi, considering the force of the blow, opted to call a technical knockout. It was a legitimate decision, though not without controversy, as Righi appeared clear-headed and balanced, and only a few seconds remained before the bell would’ve given her a minute’s rest.
Regardless of the stoppage, the KO punch deserves praise: an exceptional right hand in terms of power, speed, and technical precision, delivered by Noutcho with perfect timing and ease. The 32-year-old seems to be at the peak of her physical and technical abilities, and she can now realistically hope for a world title shot in the near future.
Understandably, Martina Righi was disappointed, seeing her European dream vanish in under two minutes. Boxing is a cruel sport, and often a single mistake can undo months of preparation in a split second—just as it did for the 34-year-old from Tuscany. Still, we’re confident she’ll learn from this tough experience and return even stronger for her next title opportunity.