Frimpong is African Heavyweight Champ

Ghana?s Frank Kwaku Frimpong has been crowned as the new African Boxing Union Heavyweight Champion after stopping Nigerian opponent Adewale Abe in round one on Friday night.

Frank Frimpong also known as the ?Big Shark? needed only 2 minutes 8 seconds of the first round of their scheduled 12 round contest to knock his Nigerian opponent at the Azumah Nelson Sports Complex.

Frimpong was expected to face a tough test from Adewale Abe who went into the bout with a better fight record of 21 knockouts in 26 fights and his status as a former holder of the title.

But the Ghanaian turned out to be too strong for his opponent on the night. Frimpong who improved his fight record to five knockouts in seven bouts told Joy Sports that his planned tactics for the bout worked to perfection.

Adewale Abe who complained of fatigue from uncomfortable travelling arrangements and bouts of malaria, said he wanted a rematch immediately.

In the most thrilling bout of the evening, Lartei ?Bukom Jah? Lartey annexed the national super lightweight title after ?resurrecting? from eight rounds of punishment from Isaac ?Chokor Dynamite? Quartey to fight back.

Until the eighth round Quartey proved superior as he combined strong jabbing and good swerving to open a cut above his left eye in round five. But the scale tilted in favour of Lartey who took advantage of a tired Quartey and delivered some head shots to send the latter down in round ten.

Judges E.J.D. Osabutey, J.B. Owusu-Ansah and Confidence Hiagbe scored the bout 117-113, 116-115 and 114-114 to hand Lartey a majority decision.

In a lightweight contest, Beliver Gym?s Bilal Mohammed stopped Samuel Danso of the Wisdom Gym in the sixth round. Danso approached the fight with hasty aggressiveness and had Bilal chasing him round the ring, but the more skilful Bilal?s punches opened a deep cut above Danso?s right eye in round six.

Ben ?Congo Soldier? Ankrah recorded another victory after outpunching Nigeria?s Samtos Okoye in an international lightweight contest.

Thomas Awinbono defeated Ayittey Okainjah through a unanimous decision in a super welterweight contest, while in a one-sided international super welterweight contest Joseph Kwadjo knocked Nigeria?s Babalola Johnson out in two minutes and 56 seconds.

And in a featherweight contest, Black Panther Gym?s Emmanuel Tagoe made Ben Tutu of Kumasi another first round knockout casualty with four jabs.

The bill, dubbed ?Shut Up Ayakatar,? put together by Ambition, Obric Sala Promotions and Commonwealth Sports Awards was sponsored by Labadi Beach Hotel, Sports Network (UK) and Ghana Tours and Astraeus Airlines.