Delaney shows steel to win kickboxing title

A NORTHSIDE sportswoman has every reason to look
forward to 2012 after recently winning the World Freestyle Karate and Kickboxing Organisation (WFKKO) Professional
World full contact title.

Barbara Delaney, from Beaumont, defeated French girl
Melanie Bony in the contest in Sheffield.

Bony, WKA World Championship Full Contact winner,
Savate European Champion and National Full Contact Champion was determined to
take the belt back to France.

The Paris fighter held a press conference and brought
her own film crew with her to tape the fight. She even announced the fight at
half time at a football game back home.

Gears

The contest was held over 10 rounds. Cleaner more
aggressive work saw Barbara take the first four rounds. After shifting gears in
the middle off the fight there was a slight comeback from Bony but Delaney
would not be denied a chance to lift her third world title.

In round seven Barbara caught Bony with a stunning
right hand that rocked her, but her tough opponent weathered the storm of
punches with the bell coming to her rescue.

In rounds eight and nine it was all Barbara but the
last round was one for the ages. Two tired warriors were encouraged by their
respective corners for one more round, with the Irish corner at the top of
their lungs calling for their fighter to leave it in the ring. And that’s just what both girls did.

Skills

Delaney started strongly again with cracking boxing
skills, with Bony taking over using her kicks. However, with 30 second left,
Barbara picked her game back up again, finishing where she started with strong
hard aggressive work.

The crowd was on its feet at the final bell, cheering
for what was a fantastic battle, with the decision for the red corner Delaney.

The French fighter left the ring clearly upset,
nursing a very badly bruised face, sore ribs and what was found out later to be
a broke wrist.

Jubilant Barbara has not been competing for two years
since she became WKA World Champion, but will be coming back home on February 4
to compete in the

‘Night of the Knockouts’, where she will be fighting Ana Roxo
from Portugal for the WIMAAO World title.