Kpakpo Allotey wins ABU title

Ghana's Kpakpo Allotey on Saturday night won the African Boxing Union (ABU) super featherweight title by knocking out his Ugandan opponent Mike Kizza in two minutes 42 seconds of the third round of their scheduled 12 round bout at the Globe Cinema, Accra.

The event dubbed "Future WBC Champions" staged under the Arthur Don Boxing Promotions Syndicate was also to commemorate the 40th anniversary celebration of the World Boxing Council (WBC)

Allotey who last month attempted to annex the national lightweight title but failed, came into the fight more determined as he started attacking his opponent from the first bell and managed to take absolute control.

The Ugandan started the second with some powerful right shots but he failed to sustain the pressure and was punished by a right hook, which sent his crashing onto the canvas.

Allottey powered his way through the guard of his opponent with his characteristic right hand in the third round and made his opponent completely vulnerable.

In a sporadic exchange with Kizza, the young Ghanaian landed a powerful right hook to the head of the Ugandan, which flattened him on the canvas.

Kizza rose at six but the Nigerian referee, Tony Lecson continued the count and when he realised that the defending champion was in no mood to continue, he signalled for the end of proceedings.

Allotey, a member of the 1998 Commonwealth team to Malaysia now has eight fights to his credit with seven knockouts and one controversial loss. Officials of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) led, Mr Peter Zwenes and other representatives of the main sponsors of the event decorated the new champion with the ABU championship belt.

In the other title fight of the night, the former African Boxing Confederation (ABC) champion, Victor Kpodonou of the Republic of Benin dethroned the African Boxing Union (ABU) champion Davis Lusimbo of Uganda via a third round technical knockout.

The fight, which had attracted rave media attention due to the records of the two champions failed to live up to its billing, as the Ugandan could not offer the kind of opposition expected of a champion.

Lusimbo was decked twice in the first round by right crosses from his opponent and he was lucky to have survived the round as he was saved by the bell when he appeared to be out of tune with himself after rising at the count of eight from the second knockdown.

The Ugandan visited the canvas twice again in the second round. He got up at the count of eight from the first, while referee Godfred Cobblah ruled the second a pushdown.

Meanwhile, it was the Ugandan who was the busier of the two boxers as he landed more punches and displayed superior footwork and ring-craft but unfortunately, he lacked the durability to absorb the sturdy punches of Kpodonou.

Lusimbo opened the third round fiercely, compelling Kpodonou to open fire with two left jabs and a powerful right shot. The Ugandan back pedalled as his legs wobbled and he went down on his knees with his right hand on the canvas.

The referee intervened and after conferring with the boxer, he halted proceedings on 51 seconds of the third round.

The thriller of the night was an eight round international super lightweight contest between Abdulai Amidu and Ajamiou Radji Tayson of Nigeria.

Every round of the contest was action packed as the two boxers threw everything at each other without compromise. In the end, it was the homeboy, Amidu who had the verdict in his favour via a unanimous decision.

It was indeed his first fight to go the distance and he admitted that he was in a fight of his life.

The Nigerian was so game that at the end of the fight, Mr Felix Quagrine, a manager of the Akotoku Academy, managers of new ABU super featherweight champion, Kpakpo Allotey offered to manage him.

In the other events, Alex Brew knocked out debutant Peter Dorbor in one minute, 52 seconds of round three in an eight round Lightweight contest, while Bilall Mohamed had an easy pay day when he ended Kuma Doe's challenge in one minute, 52 seconds of the first round in another eight round Lightweight contest.

The corner of Togolese, Poudjegbo Dosseh threw in the towel in the fifth round of a scheduled ten round Super Middleweight contest with Charles Adamu, the national super middleweight champion.