Professional Boxing League: Ghana Armed Forces maintain lead
New entrants, Ghana Armed Forces, are flying high in the Ghana Professional Boxing League competition as they jumped to the summit of the league log after Fight Night 4 at the Bukom Boxing Arena last Sunday.
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After three straight wins, there were high expectations of Vandorf Ocran as he mounted the ring to face Godwin Tetteh of Bridge Gym in the most anticipated clash. However, after six grueling rounds, the judges scored the bout a draw much to the displeasure of some spectators who felt Tetteh had done enough to earn a win in the super welterweight encounter.
The result kept Armed Forces in pole position with 10 points ahead of second-placed Attoh Quarshie Gym with nine points after three wins and a draw, just as Akotoku Academy, Bronx Gym, Panix Gym and Ghana Prisons Service have nine points each.
There was as much buzz created in the ring as the surprise appearance by Ghanaian rapper and songwriter, Sarkodie (Michael Owusu Addo), who got the crowd excited after he cheekily threw a challenge to his rival and ‘King of Dancehall’ music, Shatta Wale, to a boxing showdown at the arena.
Sarkodie, a self-acclaimed fan of boxing, was at the Bukom Boxing Arena alongside music stars, Kofi Kinata and Donzy, to watch the thrilling encounters on the night.
Elvis Ahorgah of Fit Square Gym earned a second-round technical knockout (TKO) victory over Atupika Amulga of the Seconds Out Gym.
The Eid al-Fitr celebrations last Saturday compelled the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) and Imax Boxing Promotions to push back the fourth-week bouts for 24 hours instead of the traditional Saturday night showdown. It started with a flyweight contest between Emmanuel Mawuli of the Charles Quartey Boxing Foundation (CBQF) and Ishmael Commey of the Ghana Prisons Service, with Mawuli emerging the winner via unanimous points decision (60-54, 59-55, 60-54) to maintain his perfect record of three wins in as many fights.
In other bouts, Shakul Samed of Akotoku Academy enjoyed a quick payday after scoring a TKO victory over Francis Mensah of the Sea View Gym in a super middleweight contest.
Samed went all guns blazing in the opening round, landing heavy punches to the head and body of his opponent in a one-sided affair until referee Erasmus Owoo stepped in to end the bout after two minutes and 32 seconds in the first round.
Isaac Neequaye of the Bronx Gym scored a second-round TKO victory over Shadrach Kofi of Palm Springs Gym in the welterweight contest while Faho Mensah of Panix Gym scored unanimous points victory over Patrick Cudjoe. After six rounds of action, the judges scored the super welterweight fight 59-55, 58-56, 60-54.
Teenage sensation, Cann Neequaye, a student of Accra Academy SHS, continued with his impressive performance after recording a third-round TKO victory over Lukeman Bashiru in a super bantamweight contest.