Kenyan road warrior Geoffrey Munika, recent upset winner of the Masters Title in London, went back into the lion's den yet again, this time to Thailand, to test 34-2 powerhouse prospect Fahsai Sakkreeenin for the IBF Pan-Pacific Super Featherweight title on Tuesday. Munika started well with some nifty boxing, but in the third stanza, the Thai closed the range to score a quick knockdown. Munika, it is reported, hung on gamely to the tenth before being rescued by the ref. The thirty-six year old returns home with a tough 21-16-2 ledger.
On the undercard of Antonio Tarver's big upset IBO Cruiseweight title victory over Danny Green last Wednesday in Sydney, Australia, IBF fifteenth ranked Naoufel Ben Rabah, originally from Tunisa, scored a shocking third round KO over former world champion and number eight contender Isaac Hlatshwayo of South Africa to claim the vacant IBF Australasian Welterweight title. The Aussie resident scored his thirty fourth victory against 3 losses and hopes to get a third crack at a world title while Hlatshwayo must ponder what this disastrous loss, the third of his career against thirty wins, means to his future.
Also on the card, transplanted South African cruiserweight Pieter Cronje became only the second man to stop local journeyman Michael O'Donnell in thirteen losses scoring a fourth round KO. Cronje ups his stats to 13-4-1.
A separate card on Saturday night in Perth saw another transplanted South African, Virgil Kalakoda, unlucky to come up short with a hard fought twelve round split draw for the PABA Super Welterweight belt against local hero and world title challenger Daniel Dawson, 36-3. The thirty-three year old Kalakoda has only won one of his last six fights in compiling a 24-6-3 record, but continues to impress. Nigerian Commonwealth Games representative, Friday Nwaiwu, coming back from a shoulder dislocation loss in his last outing, scored his third win in five fights with a majority decision over Jeremy Allan in a Super Middleweight six rounder. Nwaiwu's only other loss was a hotly contested six rounder to fellow Aussie resident Serge Yannick of Cameroon. Allan drops to 7-8-1.
Burkina Faso Super Lightweight prospect Issouf Kinda, now calling US his home, reeled off his eleventh straight victory with a six round unanimous nod over trialhorse Bryan Abraham in an undercard fight in the Bronx, New York. The Burkinabe, a Silver medalist at the African Championships in 2007, shockingly has no KO's to his credit and it will be interesting to see how far he can go. Abraham, from nearby Schenectady, drops to 8-6.
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Chisora Drops Belts To Fury
England, London, Wembley Arena - Zimbabwe-born British and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Derek Chisora, weighing in at a career high 118 kgs, lost his belts to fellow prospect and arch rival Tyson Fury on Saturday night in a bout that failed to live up to its pre-fight trash talk and animosity between the two undefeateds.
The twenty-seven year old Chisora, undefeated in fourteen bouts coming into the fight, got off to a good start rocking his taller opponent in the second round, but let Fury, 116 kgs, off the hook after consistently missing with follow up singular shots. Adjustments by the gutsy challenger, now 15-0, allowed him to sweep the middle rounds until a partially redeeming last round flurry by Chisora closed out the proceedings.
One judge scored it 118-111 while the other two were a tad more generous to the ex-champ at 117-112 reflecting his lack of originality in a tough fight. Chisora loses out on a huge payday against multiple world champion Wladimir Klitschko, but probably saved himself a good tanning in the process.
The twenty-seven year old Chisora, undefeated in fourteen bouts coming into the fight, got off to a good start rocking his taller opponent in the second round, but let Fury, 116 kgs, off the hook after consistently missing with follow up singular shots. Adjustments by the gutsy challenger, now 15-0, allowed him to sweep the middle rounds until a partially redeeming last round flurry by Chisora closed out the proceedings.
One judge scored it 118-111 while the other two were a tad more generous to the ex-champ at 117-112 reflecting his lack of originality in a tough fight. Chisora loses out on a huge payday against multiple world champion Wladimir Klitschko, but probably saved himself a good tanning in the process.
Monday, 25 July 2011
Okedara Set To Defend National Belt
Nigerian Super Middleweight titlist Mojeed Okedara takes on top contender Ekpenyong Bassey in a twelve rounder at the Sir Olubi Hall this Saturday in Lagos.
The event, organized by Cyril Odeyemi Olanrewaju of O2 Boxing Promotions, continues the comeback of Nigerian boxing after the recent demise of former chairman Prince Adeboye who was blamed for the stagnation of local boxing for the past decade.
Okedara, listed with a record of 6 wins and 5 defeats in a career dating back to 1997, vows to stop the seasoned Benson who has faced the likes of African champions Boniface Kabore and James Obede Toney in their backyards.
After winning the vacant national belt in 2009 with a brutal knockout of former champion Alani Sulaimon, Okedara watched helplessly as his career came to a screeching halt by lack of promotional activity. Even a trip to the US in 2010 proved unfruitful as the hard-punching Nigerian could not secure any fights.
All of a sudden, a beehive of action sees four promotions taking place in Lagos in a span of two months and with a four round knockout under his belt just three weeks ago, Okedara looks ready to clear all obstacles in his path to an African title.
The event, organized by Cyril Odeyemi Olanrewaju of O2 Boxing Promotions, continues the comeback of Nigerian boxing after the recent demise of former chairman Prince Adeboye who was blamed for the stagnation of local boxing for the past decade.
Okedara, listed with a record of 6 wins and 5 defeats in a career dating back to 1997, vows to stop the seasoned Benson who has faced the likes of African champions Boniface Kabore and James Obede Toney in their backyards.
After winning the vacant national belt in 2009 with a brutal knockout of former champion Alani Sulaimon, Okedara watched helplessly as his career came to a screeching halt by lack of promotional activity. Even a trip to the US in 2010 proved unfruitful as the hard-punching Nigerian could not secure any fights.
All of a sudden, a beehive of action sees four promotions taking place in Lagos in a span of two months and with a four round knockout under his belt just three weeks ago, Okedara looks ready to clear all obstacles in his path to an African title.
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