LONDON – England’s Ellie Scotney won the undisputed junior-featherweight title on Sunday when she defeated Mayelli Flores Rosquero of Mexico via unanimous decision at the Olympia in London.
Already widely recognized as one of the world’s finest fighters, the 28-year-old produced one of her most mature performances to convincingly outbox her both aggressive and ambitious opponent.
Scotney, already the IBF, WBO and WBC champion, had to endure her toughest test to add Rosquero’s WBA title to her collection, but she ultimately resisted the 33-year-old’s physicality to largely box her way to a deserved decision and scores of 100-90, 100-90 and 96-94.
Crucial to her promoters Most Valuable Promotions’ and their new broadcast partners Sky Sports’ hopes of conquering the female boxing market, Scotney sought to maintain a typically high pace from the opening bell.
She first caught the eye with a left-right combination as she backed Rosquero up, and then followed up doing so with a looping left hand and then a right from close range.
The strong and rugged Rosquero found success from the second round, owing to her work-rate and aggression, but it was against that that Scotney demonstrated what a rounded and largely composed fighter she is by subtly absorbing pressure and moving away from danger.
She punished Rosquero’s pressure in the third with another right hand. Rosquero was determined to remain in the pocket and, to that end, Scotney sought to counter her.
Apparently oozing with confidence, she landed a left hook from close range in the fourth and a counter left when Rosquero again attempted to close the distance between them.
When in the fifth she succeeded with a left uppercut, a right hand and then a left hand she appeared to have learned to read her largely one-dimensional opponent.
From the sixth, however, she either struggled or resisted to box with the same discipline. She first took punishment towards the ropes, and then a strong left hook. She landed a right hand but at the cost of a left; she also took a right uppercut.
It was in the seventh when, again from close range, she hurt Rosquero with a right hand, but she continued to risk getting drawn into the same nature of contest that presented Rosquero’s greatest chance of victory – even if she was rewarded by landing a left hand to the chin.
Scotney landed a right hand as the intense pace continued into the eighth but, with her hands low, then sought to back off and lead with her jab.
When they entered the 10th and final round it was apparent that Rosquero required a knockout to record victory but the closest she came was when they exchanged strong right hands.
Chants of “Ellie, Ellie” then started to ring around the Olympia – it has been questioned whether promoting women’s boxing as they presently are will prove profitable and therefore sustainable for MVP, but Scotney’s latest performance had earned the approval of the estimated 1,000 in attendance and perhaps secured her further support.
