Nina Meinke wins the IBF featherweight belt in a “blood fight” against Daniela Bermudez. But the World Cup of historic proportions should only be the temporary highlight. BOXSPORT knows the background.
Bloody World Championship fight: Because the cut on Nina Meinke’s hairline (r.) looked worse than it was, the fight was not stopped. (Photo: IMAGO / Torsten Helmke)
She notices briefly, almost imperceptibly. But something happened. And actually: Cut. In the middle of the hairline. No impact, accidental headbutt. Blood runs down the forehead, collects between the eyelids in the eye socket, flows down the cheeks and drips down the tip of the chin onto the granite-black ring base with the pearly white lettering of the organizers and partners. The referee interrupts.
The doctor who was quickly summoned checks the wound, nods, and we move on. There are still 59 seconds until the break bell. Covered in blood and sweat, she makes it to the corner of the ring. You, this is Nina Meinke from Berlin. In the fight against the Argentinian Daniela Romina Bermudez on September 21st in the Stadthalle Hamburg in the Alsterdorf district; in the fight for the vacant world title according to the IBF version in the featherweight category (-57.2 kg).
Drains placed for the cut
Now Coach Kay Huste is in demand. And of course cutman Ugur Aydogdu. He presses on the three or four centimeter long wound with sterile swabs and tries to stop Meinke’s bleeding. Not easy – and he knows: there is no fatty tissue at the roots with the tightly braided hair, the skin is very thin and susceptible to lacerations. “I told Nina, it’s not very deep, it’s not bad, but the cut is difficult to close at that point,” Aydogdu will later report in an interview with BOXSPORT. However, there is a trick. Place drains, small channels made from a mixture of adrenaline and petroleum jelly. This allows blood to drain around the eyebrows without affecting vision. Aydogdu is a professional and no one can fool him.
A novelty in European women’s boxing
Too bad there was a mishap in the second round. Very early in the fight, especially since the “blood battle” in the rope square will not last ten times two minutes as usual. No, twelve rounds, three minutes each. Common for men, but a novelty in the history of women’s boxing in Europe. Meinke and Bermudez and their management had agreed on the full distance. A question of equality. And the opponents in the ring give each other nothing, not an inch of terrain. From the first minute on it was an open exchange of blows, volleys of quick left and right hands. On both sides. …
Text: Oliver Rast
You can find the complete story in the new e-magazine from BOXSPORT 10/2024. Now available in the BOXSPORT app (IOS / Android) available.
Now in BOXSPORT 10/24: William Scull – how the AGON fighter finally got his long-awaited world championship fight. Also: Nina Meinke’s historic World Championship triumph – this is how things should continue for the new IBF featherweight champion. Related: Boxing in Cuba – after decades of professional ban: This is how the boxing scene in the Caribbean country is changing. And: Kathy Duva – the head of “Main Events” – is still fully involved in the boxing business at the age of 71. Plus lots of stories, analyses, rankings, battle reports and much more.
