The Thieves of Cherbourg: Ben Ephraim-Kaddour Called a Draw

Odelia Ben Ephraim dominated Sarah Kaddour at Gymnase Jean Jaures in Cherbourg, France today. Yet, two judges inexplicably called the fight even. Earlier this week, The Jewish Boxing Blog prophesied, "As the opponent, Odelia will need to win in convincing fashion." She did just that and the judges still saddled her with a majority draw.

Kaddour, a 30 year old, began each round firing combinations at her 26 year old opponent. However, most of her wide shots were blocked or slipped. Ben Ephraim stalked, wearing down Kaddour with pressure. In the first, Odelia landed a couple of hard looping rights after setting them up by dipping her left shoulder. While Kaddour attacked without much forethought,  Ben Ephraim showed her class by feinting, setting up her power shots, and exhibiting impressive accuracy.

Ben Ephraim completely controlled the second round. At one point, Kaddour switched to southpaw in desperation. Later, she was caught in the corner and ate a barrage of punches. The third wasn't any better for Kaddour, who was exhausted by the end of the round. Odelia cut off the ring beautifully and picked her punches like the artist that she is.

To her credit, Kaddour never gave up and displayed a warrior's heart. She showed flashes of skill, particularly during the second half of the fight. The former kickboxing champion boxed well in the round, landing her jab and a nice right uppercut. Ben Ephraim's corner had delayed the opening of the fourth after forgetting to stick in her mouthpiece, just when Kaddour was very tired. But Odelia finished the fourth strong, battering her opponent to take another round.

Kaddour connected with some sneaky rights in the fifth, but she ate a lot of left hooks. Midway through the round, she vacillated between running and flinging wild combinations that missed their mark.

The sixth and final round proved to be Kaddour's best. She mucked up the fight by holding. Ben Ephraim landed some quality one-twos, but Kaddour showed a good right uppercut.

The Jewish Boxing Blog scored the fight 59-55 for Ben Ephraim. The announcers seemed to concur. Yet the judges showed utter incompetence or worse in their scorecards. One read 59-55, but the announcer didn't pin it to either fighter. Thankfully, it turned out to be for Ben Ephraim. The other two judges, Eric Butel and Frederic Arnaud, committed larceny, scoring the fight 57 apiece. To give the judges the benefit of the doubt, Kaddour's hands were very active. They just weren't nearly as effective as Ben Ephraim's precise punches.

This fight was a masterclass for Ben Ephraim, but unfortunately boxing can be a dirty game. Her record is 5-6-1. Kaddour is 1-1-1.

Odelia Ben Ephraim and Sarah Kaddour Weigh In

Odelia Ben Ephraim and Sarah Kaddour both weighed in ahead of their clash tomorrow at Gymnase Jean Jaures in Cherbourg, France. Both are very talented fighters, whose records don't accurately represent their ability. Ben Ephraim is 5-6 while Kaddour is 1-1.

Kaddour's weight was announced as 119.6 pounds. BoxRec recorded her weight for one other fight at 120.8. She's a 30 year old from Clichy, France who has had a lot of success in other combat sports.

Ben Ephraim was 121.1 pounds. The 26 year old has come in at a range of 119.5 and 126 pounds. She fought as a featherweight earlier in her career, but has recently moved down to junior featherweight.

After a tense stare-down during the faceoff, Ben Ephraim extended her hand and the two warriors shook hands as a sign of respect. Odelia then drank Powerade with a little bit of salt to rehydrate. She added some applesauce and fruit. She ate dinner two hours later, which consisted of chicken breast and pasta with chocolate cake for dessert.

This bout is scheduled for six two-minute rounds and can be watched here or on HBOMax.

Review of Ring Theory

Ring Theory: Meditations on 35 Years in Boxing

By William Dettloff

Winding Road Stories, 2025

No one would argue that the past 35 years has signified a golden age of boxing writing. As the sport becomes increasingly niche in the United States, fewer of the great writers concern themselves with the wild contradictions of boxing. Former senior writer at The Ring and editor-in-chief of Ringside Seat William Dettloff, however, is an exception.

A collection of nearly four dozen articles, Ring Theory shows Dettloff's talent for weaving together a good story with empathy for the fighters, humor, and wisdom. He covers all the big events and top fighters from the past three-plus decades with fluidly-presented narratives and distinguished description. The writing is beautiful without being pompous.

As with any boxing anthology, the collection of articles is somewhat disjointed, but a thesis emerges. Fighters will necessarily continue to fight until the desire is literally beaten out of them. Dettloff experienced that feeling on an amateur level. Quite a few legendary fighters couldn't retire until they were forced to. The end of the careers of Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, Evander Holyfield, and Arturo Gatti are all featured. Only Lennox Lewis could walk away after an impressive, albeit grueling, victory.

This topic of legends fighting too long wanders into several sections: "The Fighter's Journey," "The Business," "The Final Bell," and "History." It can feel a bit repetitive at times. In addition, fans of Roy Jones and Pernell Whitaker may not appreciate the articles written about them as they're really the only two fighters who receive sustained criticism. Otherwise, Dettloff shows compassion for the fighters without slipping into sappiness. Articles on his own boxing experience, journeyman Walter Cowans, and reminisces of ten champions were particularly insightful.

Ring Theory is a collection of articles from our era's entry into the pantheon of great boxing writers. It gets to the essence of the sport and is a must-read for fans interested in the boxing's recent history.