By Per Ake Persson

Frenchman Samir Ziani, 29-3-1, won the vacant EBU super featherweight title on Saturday night in Barcelona as Spanish co-challenger Juli Giner, 23-4-1, retired and didn´t come out for the seventh round.

Ziani is a tough, strong, right in your face fighter who finally got his big break.

Back in 2014 he lost a close call to no other than Richard Commey, the new IBF lightweight champ, but most ringsiders that night in Copenhagen had Ziani winning by two points or more.

In 2016 Ziani lost a very close decision to Guillaume Frenois in another EBU title fight.

Ziani got a second chance to challenge for the title early 2018 but was for various reasons made to wait a full year before it could happen.

In the chief support on this Gallego Prada promotion lightweights Frank Urquiaga. 13-1-1, and Ivan Tomas, 9-0-1, drew over ten in a fight for the vacant Spanish title.

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In Vantaa, Finland, cruiserweight Samuli Karkkainen, 9-0, retained the BBU title with a clear win on points over Swedish challenger Sami Jangirov, 3-1-1. In other action Norwegian cruiser Kent Erik Badstad, 3-1, knocked out Gennadi Mentsikainen, 6-3, in the first round.