By Ben Carey
Pocket dynamo Ian Napa is to challenge for the European bantamweight title against title holder Carmelo Ballone. The European Boxing Union has stated that interested parties must submit purse offers by 1 August.
Napa, once always the bridesmaid and never the bride, is enjoying the best form of his career. The Hackney stylist finally won a major championship by outpointing Jason Booth to claim the vacant British bantamweight title 12 months ago and has since secured a Lonsdale belt outright with impressive wins over Martin Power, Lee Haskins and Colin Moffett.
Belgian Balone captured the European crown by stopping Eugen Soren Tanasie in eight rounds in December 2007 and has since made one defence, halting Valery Yanchy in ten rounds in May. Like Napa, the 32-year-old Ballone is in good form and has stopped his last five opponents in his 21-2-1 (10) record.
Balone last defeat came against Italy’s Simone Maludrottu on a split decision when he previously challenged for the European title in November 2005. Ironically, Napa also tasted his last defeat against Maludrottu, conceding a unanimous points decison to the Italian in March 2007.
