TheSportsCampus

Perfect result for Paris United as they consolidate fourth place after defeating Beijing Dragons at the historic Salle Wagram in the heart of the French capital. In the mythical surroundings of this sensational venue and in front of a strong crowd that included many celebrities, the home team put on a strong performance for this Group B clash.

In the evening's opening Bantamweight contest, Paris United's Aleksandr Riscan bossed the first two rounds, setting the tone for proceedings by dominating the fight from the centre of the ring. The young Moldovan southpaw looked hungry for victory right from the off. Although his opponent Yuyu Du seemed more offensive in the third, Riscan kept up the high intensity, throwing several good combination punches before a stinging left hook to the body caught Du right in the kidney. The Beijing Dragons' 26-year-old never recovered with Riscan winning by KO to the applause of the crowd.

Franck Petitjean then showcased his skills against Zhengjia Deng and was solid throughout the bout as he stamped his authority on the Lightweight contest. Outmanoeuvring his opponent, the classy Frenchman extended his unbeaten record in the competition with a clever display to win and give Paris United a 2-0 lead in the match. When interviewed post-fight, southpaw Petitjean was positive about the result but stressed that he was looking forward to continuing his development within the team.

Making his debut for Paris United was Cameroon's 29-year-old Joseph Maluma as he faced Dongxu Shang in the Middleweight contest. Although tentative in the early exchanges, Maluma quickly grew in the fight, using an excellent high guard to defend himself against his taller opponent before pouncing with some deft punches. Maluma wowed the crowds by sending the Dragons' Shang to the canvas in the third with a hard straight right to the body then again in the fourth with another quality one straight to the Chinese's chin that sent his rival's mouth guard flying. The Paris United orthodox newcomer will have been delighted with his performance as his excellent points victory gave the home team an unassailable 3-0 lead in the tie.

Beijing Dragons will have been pleased with Jianzheng Wang's impressive victory over Maxime Pailleret, reducing the visiting team's deficit; however the night belonged to Paris United who won the match 4:1.