David Guerault: France’s European Flyweight Champion
French boxer David Guerault won the European flyweight championship in 1997 and defended it against opponents from several countries. His reign is a notable chapter in the history of French professional boxing’s lighter divisions.
Winning the European flyweight title
A southpaw associated with Dombasle-sur-Meurthe, Guerault captured the belt against Denmark’s Jesper D. Jensen in Slagelse on June 13, 1997. He won by a tenth-round technical knockout, taking the championship away from the Danish titleholder.
Guerault’s first defense came in Manchester that November, where he stopped Ady Lewis in the fourth round. In March 1998, he retained the belt against fellow French boxer Philippe Desavoye with a seventh-round stoppage in Dieppe.
Defenses and a later return to title contention
His next defenses went the distance. He defeated Alexander Makhmutov in Berck in September 1998 and Jason Booth in Grande-Synthe in May 1999, winning both contests on points over 12 rounds.
Guerault later returned to the European title picture after the championship had become vacant. On December 9, 2000, Makhmutov defeated him on points over 12 rounds in Villeurbanne. The pair’s title-bout history therefore includes a victory for each man, in separate championship contests.
The progression from winning the belt to defending it and later attempting to regain it gives the career its continuity. Guerault’s European championship should also be identified precisely: it was a continental professional title, distinct from a world championship or an amateur tournament medal.
The European title history lists both changes of champion; BoxRec identifies Guerault’s professional and amateur records. Sources: European title-bout chronology; [1] [2]
Sources
Career records and reporting: sportenote.com.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
