On Saturday, Sauerland Promotions were back in Frankfurt, Germany for the first time since 2011. The showcase revolved around two German standouts Leon Bunn and Abass Baroau, both on the rise, both with statements to make.
Other notable names in action were World Boxing Super Series alumni Anthony Yigit and South African luminary Ali Funeka, who refuses to call it quits.
Leon Bunn (14-0, 8 KO) def. Leon Harth (18-4, 12 KO) by ninth-round TKO
Bunn, a national amateur champion out of Germany, passed a sizable test on Saturday. He claimed his first minor title, the IBF International belt, over a career cruiserweight in Leon Harth.
It was a classy performance from the hometown Bunn, a star pupil under trainer Ulli Wegner.
The Frankfurt native continually racked up points, outjabbing his veteran opponent. His cultured lead hand turned Harth’s face red by Round 3 and he had his countryman desperate for answers by the sixth period. Bunn would capitalize on Harth’s growing fatigue, drilling him into ropes in Round 9 where he unloaded on the wincing man, forcing referee Timo Habighorst to step in.
The two engaged in a fine fencing match to open the contest. But two rounds in, Bunn’s fundamental attack was undoing his man. Harth was noticeably sloppier in the fourth period—his elbows no longer tight, his jab far more telegraphed.
Bunn’s offense remained consistent. Nothing flashy. Systematically breaking down his man from the neck up. He wasn’t head hunting but with Harth lunging over and trying to clinch, the crouching man’s cranium was open season.
Bunn, 26, wasn’t the least bit overpowered by the naturally larger man. Harth was out of answers by the seventh round and when he wasn’t looking for a home run left hook, he was barreling into his younger countryman to which Bunn brushed him around with his forearms.
Harth, 30, was riding a three-fight winning streak entering the arena, winning back-to-back matches at the light heavyweight limit. He dropped a rung on the weight class ladder in 2018 after falling to the excellent Artur Mann by majority decision. The move ended a six-year career at 200 pounds.
For Bunn, it’s upward and onward. He’s undefeated in 14 fights and, beating Olympian Viktor Polyakov in February, 2-0 on the year under Wegner. Having spent time with about every world level German in recent memory—from Steven Ottke and Marco Huck to Arthur Abraham and Cecillia Braekhus—the 77-year-old coach must be excited for his newest project.
Leon Bunn TKO9 Leon Harth, Sauerland main event from Frankfurt, Germany. #BunnHarth #Boxing pic.twitter.com/dBsUeeoQre
Abass Baraou (6-0, 3 KO) def. Ali Funeka (40-11, 32 KO) by fifth-round TKO
Baraou, an amateur standout himself, is coming along nicely. In February, the 24-year-old super welterweight decisioned Carlos Molina, formerly a stylistic nightmare, and this weekend added another unorthodox old-timer in Ali Funeka.
All of 41 years old, Funeka is best know for his unlucky decisions in a couple world title fights nearly a decade ago. But this weekend, Baraou wouldn’t let him see the final scorecards.
Baraou kept his hands high and continually circled his man. Funeka stood in the center of the ring, complacent to hide behind his gloves. The younger man eventually busted through Funeka’s guard en route to a fifth-round stoppage.
German amatuer standout Abass Baraou TKO5 Ali Funeka, co-main event from Sauerland’s Frankfurt, Germany card. #BaraouFuneka #Boxing pic.twitter.com/ALPcSyDMRF
— Round By Round Boxing (@RBRBoxing) May 4, 2019
Rest of the card
Sarah Bormann def. Anne Sophie de Costa by unanimous decision
Anthony Yigit def. Sandro Hernandez by fifth-round TKO
Kem Ljungquist def. Dominik Musil by unanimous decision
Sophie Alisch def. Bojana Libiszewska by unanimous decision
Enis Agushi def. Pavol Garaj by unanimous decision
