Former bantamweight champion of the world, Robert Cohen, has passed away in Brussels, Belgium, at the age of 91, reports L´Equipe. Cohen won the title Sep 19 1954 in front of 69 819 spectators at the National Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand with a points win over Chamrern Songkitrat. The crowd included the King and Queen of Thailand.

He defended the title in Durban, South Africa, with a draw against Willie Toweel with a crowd of 30 00 in attendance. He lost the title in 1956 at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on a cut eye stoppage to Mario D´Agata in front of a crowd of 35 000 and retired from boxing (with an unsuccessful comeback three years later).

He settled in what was then Elisabetville - today Lumumbashi - in Belgian Congo to work for his father-in-law, who owned a factory there. In 1998 Cohen left Lumubashi due to health reasons and then split his time between Cape Town and Brussels. He was born in Algeria but moved to Paris at a young age to begin his boxing career. His professional boxing reads 36-4-3.

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Jelena Janicijevic (4-1-1) from Serbia won the vacant female EBU lightweight title yesterday - March 5 - in Dzierzoniow, Poland, with a split decision over Aleksandra Sidorenko (9-1-1). It was scored 96-94 and 97-93 for Janicijevic and 96-94 for Sidorenko. This was a rematch and their first fight ended in a draw. 

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JAKE JAMES insists he is on the Welterweight title trail in 2022.

He will have to show Championship qualities when he boxes his first ever eight rounder against Ghanaian champion Joseph Lamptey at University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday March 12.

Their battle is joint top of the bill alongside recent European title challenger Jack Flatley.

Lamptey (26-7-1), 18 KOs) has been 12 rounds five times in his career and won his last eight bouts - six by KO.

He suffered defeats to fighters like Sam Eggington and Larry Ekundayo who he went the 12 round distance with in his last loss back in September 2015.

James (9-0, 2 KOs) said: “I have had a couple of decent fights like Ben Fields and Kamil Mlodzinski and I have been asking Steve Wood for another step up and he has given me one. I have to deliver and I’m sure I will.

“Lamptey isn’t coming to roll over. He has won his last eight fights and knocked most of them out. He is getting on, but is experienced and should bring something I haven’t seen before.

“I want to stay busy. I’m happy to be the away fighter and I sell enough tickets to be the home fighter and hopefully get on Sky Sports.

“I want to keep stepping up and I don’t see why I can’t pick up a Central Area or even an English title this year.

“This is a step up and should move me up the rankings. I’m soon to be 27 and I want to be picking up some sort of title.

“If it’s not going to happen now it never will.”

A hand injury slowed Jake’s progress. He managed two fights in the second half of 2021 following an 18-month layoff and should have boxed a third contest in December, but tested positive for Covid.

His contest against Lamptey will be Jake’s fifth fight under former World champion Anthony Crolla and the pair make the perfect partnership.

Jake added: “Training with Ant Crolla has brought me on leaps and bounds and I’m yet to show that in the ring. I’m hoping to showcase them against Lamptey.

“It’s difficult against some guys. My last opponent, Angel Emilov was 159lb and ripped so all I could do was hit him and move.”