Teresa Perrozi is preparing for an expected WBC world title fight next month after successfully defending her NABC middleweight crown before hundreds of fight fans at the CedarBridge Academy on Saturday night.

She has set her sights on claiming a world title belt from one of the sport?s ?big three? global boxing bodies after out-pointing challenger Martha Deitchman in an eight-round defence of her North American Boxing Council title.

An opponent for the proposed WBC fight, slated for March 25, has yet to be announced, but it is unlikely to be Scroller Carrington from whom Perrozi took the NABC crown last September.

The news will delight fans who rose to their feet at the CedarBridge gym before and after the main event to acclaim Bermuda?s boxing sensation.

Three ringside judges awarded Perrozi, 32, full points in each of the eight rounds over her Denver-based opponent.

And speaking after the fight, Perrozi said only a lack of full fitness prevented her securing a knock-down victory.

?She should have gone down. But I?ll be in better shape next time. The next one is going down,? she said.

It was an impressive boxing display that only descended into holding and slugging at the very end, not surprisingly from Perrozi?s point of view as she lacked fitness and has not fought beyond six rounds before.

Challenger Deitchman exhibited stamina and fortitude, soaking up the early blows and somehow dodging the constant threat of Perrozi unleashing a potentially fight-ending left hook.

Perrozi?s armoury of techniques and boxing discipline brought glowing praise from the challenger?s coach, Clarence Thatch.

The former light-heavyweight professional and four-time kickboxing world champion said: ?For a girl like Teresa to move the way she did, she had head work, she had feints, she dropped down real low and tried to confuse Martha on occasions, you don?t see that very often, even in men?s boxing. It was real interesting when Teresa started doing that stuff. I?m like ?s**t, come and do that at our gym?.

?I appreciate skill and I appreciate talent, I appreciate people who take their craft and hone it and make it beautiful. That?s showmanship for you, and I think that both ladies really showed classy showmanship out there.?

Deitchman momentarily went down on one knee during a final round exchange, but both camps regarded it as a slip and the Denver boxer later admitted a facia tendonitis injury in one of her legs was still not fully healed.

Perrozi suffered a small facial cut in the opening two rounds, but it didn?t upset her rhythm as she produced an intense work rate, repeatedly leading with her right jab and following through with strong combinations.

Her opponent was left to parry or deflect the blows with her arms and gloves, but Perrozi?s superior reach and overall strength was a telling factor.

Deitchman?s coach observed: ?Teresa had a very good hard, crisp, left cross and straight arm and we just made sure we took an angle on it and didn?t get hit by it, thank God.

?Martha cut Teresa in the first round. She can throw some really good punches, but when you have a fighting girl like Teresa, especially someone that big who moves as well as she does, you have to fight with extreme caution. Like I told Martha afterwards, ?Look, you did not end up on that mat face down, you won a major victory considering you are fighting someone with so much skill and power.?

Perrozi spoke with delight at the way the evening had gone. She had high words of praise for the crowd support and the team that has built around her since her NABC fight last year.

Reflecting on the fight, she said: ?I like to be a bit more tactical, it got a little sluggish, a little too much holding.

?She was shorter than me in height and her power could not match mine. I feel good, I just came off the flu and had tendonitis in my knee, and my training wasn?t where it is normally - usually I?m 150 or 200 percent and I was not quite there so I feel good. Next time will be even better.

?There was nothing tricky about tonight except that she kept standing. I wanted the feeling where they are on the canvas and they can?t get up. That?s the feeling I?m looking for.?

As for the crowd support, she said: ?It was amazing. Usually that stuff doesn?t matter. I don?t care where the fight is, I used to prefer it not to be here, but now it?s like every fight gets better and better and I can handle this.

?Instead of being intimidated and nervous, feeling like I?m going to fail, I feel that it helps me and carries me and it?s all down to the team I have now. That is what I?ve lacked in every single fight since I?ve started. I had maybe too much anger and had to get it out and that?s what I did. But now I have my team and all I have to worry about is the training and the rest falls into place.?

Having defended her title she does not need to worry about another mandatory defence until the latter half of this year. In the meantime she is seeking a shot at the vacant World Boxing Council middleweight crown and has March 25 pencilled in as the likely date.

?I?m pretty sure it will be for another belt - the WBC. I?m not sure who the opponent will be. They have asked a couple of different girls. They want a rematch with Scroller (Carrington) but I want someone else, I want someone better.?

Another fight so soon after Saturday?s defence is unusual for a boxer, but she feels her form is returning and she can handle such a schedule, particularly with her team behind her and the prospect of a sponsorship deal being signed in the next week or so.

She compared the feeling of winning on Saturday before a home crowd to completing the May 24 Marathon Derby.

?I?m ready to go again. This is the feeling I had when I did May 24, and I don?t run. It was the most amazing feeling with the crowd. I did not feel any pain. This was the first time that I could actually hear the crowd and it wasn?t like I was thinking ?Oh, what am I doing wrong?? I could hear my cousins and my friends, I heard everything and it was a good thing. I heard some shouting out ?body shots.? I did get a little tired, but I?ll be in better shape next time.?

Perrozi?s mother, Claire Quinlan, who flew in from Los Angeles to watch the fight, said: ?I?ve watched her grow in confidence and her style and form improve. It can be hard watching my daughter fighting but I support her 100 percent and I?m becoming more relaxed about it.?

Thatch said the crowd had been treated to two skilled boxers giving an honest account of themselves, adding: ?Both girls fought intelligent. Most men don?t understand that. You go out there and beat the s**t out of an opponent - that doesn?t make it a great fight. You need two skilled fighters and that?s the difference you saw tonight.

?It was nice that we met Teresa before the fight and she?s a sweet girl. They were both testing each other tonight mentally and physically, but they?ll be friends for the rest of their life. That?s the beauty of the sport.?

Deitchman, 39, said: ?It was a great fight. The first fight that I can say we were equal. It was fair and square. I?m still learning. I?m here, I?m old, I?m completing my dream. I got here and, okay I didn?t take the belt, but next time. I would like to have a re-match.

?I was feeling her out in the first rounds, where she was at. I feel strong, I could go ten more rounds. The crowd was good and I think I won some of them over too.

?Hopefully I will get another chance to come out here again. I want to bring my kids next time.?(all results by unanimous points decision unless indicated): Kenneth Williams beat Eric Richardson; Asaph Rawlins beat Reece Simpson (split decision); Kamel Dickinson beat Solomon Godwin; Jeffery Richardson v Raeshaun Rainer (Richardson awarded walkover due to Rainer?s non-appearance); Tafari Maxwell beat Otis Ingham; Andrea Bean beat Kejon Trott; Jerome Caines beat Lyndon Woods (split decision); Joshua Smith beat Leo (Lionheart) Richardson.

Award for Best Bout of the Night went to Caines v Woods. The Best Boxer of the Night award went to Joshua Smith and the Crowd Favourite award went to Kejon Trott.