Abed Shikongo lived up to his promise on Saturday night as he floored Malawian opponent Byson Gwayani with a seventh-round knockout in the main bout of the MTC Salute Boxing Bonanza.
The bonanza was held at the Windhoek Country Club and Casino in the capital.
The bout between the two was the main event of the evening, which witnessed over eight bouts on the night.
The fight started with both boxers exchanging decent punches in the early rounds.
However, as the bout progressed, the tempo picked up and both fighters took charge of various rounds.
But it was in the seventh round, after Gwayani absorbed a series of face shots, that Shikongo landed a heavy punch, sending him to the canvas.
Shikongo thanked his promoters after the fight.
Speaking on the bout, he said he knew that victory was his.
“He isn’t a real boxer. I was hoping to get someone who could really challenge me, but I knew this would be light work for me. I’m happy for this win. I’ll return to the ring, push harder and see what my promoters can get for me,” he said.
In the main supporting bout, Fillemon Nghutenanye delivered a technical knockout in the second round to brush aside his South African opponent, Sihle Jelwana, in their junior bantamweight division.
Returning to the ring since last year, Nathanael Kakololo marked his comeback with a solid win against David Shinuna in their lightweight battle.
In the flyweight division, Immanuel Josef proved too strong for his South African opponent, beating him by unanimous decision.
In a national title fight, Mervin Nguno claimed victory and was crowned the new national champion after defeating Salom Petrus.
In an interview after the event, Salute Boxing Academy founder Kiriata Kamanya thanked their sponsors, MTC, for always believing in the importance of nurturing talent.
“We’re happy to have held this very successful event, which brought young and experienced fighters together. It’s a good thing that boxing has become a big culture in Namibia. We’re proud that we can provide opportunities for our young ones. But it doesn’t go without saying that, without our sponsors, we are nothing,” he said.
– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na