Boxing: Bastie Samir humbles Bukom Banku
Braimah "Bukom Banku" Kamoko was defeated for the first time in his professional career by Bastie "The Beast" Samir in a non-title cruiserweight bout on Saturday night.
Advertisement
Samir, 31, pulled-off the stunning upset over his tough-talking foe by knocking down Banku twice in seven breathless rounds of thrilling boxing in front of an electrified audience at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra.
The odds were heavily stacked against Samir heading into the clash - as he was moving up two weight classes from super middleweight to cruiserweight the bout which was tagged make or break by the organisers, Box Office Sports Promotions.
Aside from this, Banku, 37, also had a reach advantage over him and was more experienced, having fought almost twice as many bouts as Samir.
However, what Samir lacked in reach and experience he more than made up for with his superior ring-craft and punching power.
Banku started as the aggressor, dominating the first round of the bout, jabbing his opponent at will but Samir gave him a taste of what was to come when he staggered him with a counter-punch in the second round.
From this point onwards, Samir began to dictate the pace of the bout choosing when to engage Banku in a flurry or simply toying with him by evading his wild punches as he sought a way back into the fight.
Banku had earlier predicted a sixth-round stoppage of Samir but the round would only be remembered for the countless number of times the younger boxer clinched and punched his face and body at will.
In the seventh round, Samir went in for the kill as Banku was visibly tired and dropped his non-existent defence even further.
A series of unanswered punches saw the referee inexplicably jump to Banku's aid, bizarrely refusing to halt the bout as expected but instead gave him a mandatory eight-second count after a cut above his right eye was treated and he was doused with water by a fan.
However, that respite was short-lived, as soon after he returned, Samir sent him crashing to the canvas for the second and final time following relentless combinations which culminated with a powerful right hook to his jaw.
He landed on his backside and did not appear eager to rise to his feet but when he finally did, Banku staggered forwards like a drunk on his way home from the pub - forcing the referee to save him from further punishment in the second-minute of the seventh round.
Samir was gracious after his victory and expressed his willingness to grant his opponent a rematch, however, the usually talkative Banku did not stick around for any post-fight interviews and was quickly whisked away by his team following the embarrassing loss.
For his stunning display, Samir splits a GH¢200,000 cash prize with the loser Banku but will receive an added bonus of GH¢ 5,000 from the Accra Mayor Mohammed Adjei Sowah for winning the clash.
He also improved his fight record to 16 wins, 0 losses and one draw (16-0-1, 15 KO’s).