Mary Spencer awarded controversial call, outpoints Naomi Mannes

It was now or never – sort of – for 39-year-old junior middleweight Mary Spencer, who seized her opportunity to win an interim WBA title in a controversial unanimous decision over Naomi Mannes on Thursday at Casino de Montreal in Quebec, Canada.

The fight’s most debatable moment came in the 10th round when Spencer, leaning on Mannes to the point of sending her to the canvas, was awarded a knockdown by referee Martin Forest – a decision that will likely be scrutinized moving forward. Also leaving some observers puzzled were the scorecards, which sent six of the 10 rounds to Spencer, who was less than convincing in victory.

Still, Spencer (9-2, 6 KOs) walked away with the win on scores of 96-93, securing the decision over the 29-year-old Mannes (7-3-1), who entered the bout on the heels of a split-decision win over former titleholder Hannah Rankin. Spencer, however, was coming off a single win in January after back-to-back losses to Femke Hermans in IBF title fights, leading to questions about her future in the sport.

The opening round was cautious, with Mannes moving around the ring while Spencer tried to impose her size. Neither fighter found much success. In the second round, Mannes held her ground until Spencer backed her onto the ropes, landing a solid right hand. It became clear that Spencer’s strategy was to use her size and strength, but Mannes landed some awkward yet effective shots, including a lead right hook in the third round.

As the fight progressed, Mannes’ youth and activity seemed to give her an edge. Spencer struggled to match Mannes’ pace, appearing slow and predictable. Frustration grew in Spencer’s corner, as Mannes’ fluidity and aggression made Spencer look lethargic. By the end of the sixth round, Spencer appeared exhausted, taking a deep breath as she returned to her corner.

In the seventh, Spencer began holding more and fighting rough, and Mannes’ enthusiasm and body language suggested she was in control (which was reflected in the ESPN+ English broadcast scorecard, which had Mannes up). Despite Spencer pressing forward in the ninth round, her aggression lacked precision, as Mannes consistently outworked her.

The final round saw Mannes land a quick combination to start the round before dropping – possibly on an obscured punch but seemingly from Spencer pressing down on her. Mannes took a knee, and the dubious call clouded an otherwise competitive fight.

The decision seemed hard to believe given Mannes’ higher activity and precision – another boxing result that will likely spark debate.

Elsewhere on the undercard, welterweight Christopher Guerrero (12-0, 7 KOs), 23, capitalized on his youth with a fourth-round technical knockout victory over 37-year-old veteran Courtney Pennington (17-9-3, 7 KOs).

While Guerrero looked to land heavy shots from the start, Pennington employed a more tactical approach in the early rounds, landing clean but awkward punches without full power. This made the opening rounds a battle of patience, with Pennington dictating the pace.

Guerrero found his stride in the third round, landing an uppercut that wobbled Pennington and left him looking dejected in his corner. In the fourth, Pennington took a knee after absorbing a series of clean punches, then was dropped again by a right hand. Guerrero, brimming with confidence, taunted Pennington before landing a left hook that knocked him down for a third time, prompting referee Yvon Goulet to step in and stop the fight at 1:56 of the round.

Junior welterweight Jhon Orobio (11-0, 10 KOs) continued to showcase his potential as a future Canadian star with a second-round TKO victory over Joel Ivan Manriquez (6-6).

The stoppage came at 2:54 after Orobio, just 21 years old, switched to southpaw mid-combination and landed a powerful overhand left that floored Manriquez, whose corner then stopped the fight.

Earlier in the round, Orobio dropped Manriquez with a right to the body, though Manriquez managed to beat the count at nine. While Orobio’s pressure and combination punching stood out, one of his punches was ruled low, reflecting some of the young fighter’s inexperience. Despite the flaws, Orobio’s ability to pile on punches is a clear asset. Though still developing his craft, the talented slugger became the first to stop Manriquez.

Junior lightweight Avery Martin Duval (12-0-1, 7 KOs) earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Jesus Adrian Daneff (13-12-4, 4 KOs) in an eight-round bout that was more competitive than the scores suggested.

The judges scored the fight 79-73, 80-72 and 80-71. After seemingly losing the third round, Duval regained control by overpowering Daneff and shifting the momentum. However, despite his physical advantages, Duval was unable to overwhelm Daneff, forcing him to stay engaged throughout the fight – a challenge often lacking in developmental bouts.

In super middleweight action, Wilkens Mathieu (11-0, 7 KOs) stopped Rolando Wenceslao Mansilla (19-16-1, 9 KOs) in the fourth round. A straight right hand dropped Mansilla, followed by a left hook to the body that sent him down again. Mansilla attempted to rise, but referee Yvon Goulet waved off the fight at 1:41 of Round 4 for a technical knockout.

In the night’s opening bout, super middleweight Moreno Fendero (7-0, 5 KOs) knocked out Carlos Miguel Ronner (7-5, 2 KOs) in the third round. A single overhand left from Fendero floored Ronner, who failed to beat referee Steve St. Germain’s count. The knockout came at 0:30 of the third round.

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.