WINDHOEK – Namibia’s veteran pugilist Paulus “The Rock” Ambunda will tomorrow be faced with a mammoth task of succeeding where compatriots Paulus “The Hitman” Moses, Julius “Blue Machine” Indongo and Walter “Executioner” Kautondokwa once tried and failed – that is on the grueling world-renowned American boxing stage.
Ambunda, a multiple former world champion and one of Namibia’s highly celebrated fighters, will tomorrow put his prized International Boxing Organisation (IBO) super bantamweight world title on the line against America’s undefeated Stephen Fulton Jr at the Eaglebank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, US.
As far as recent boxing history is concerned, Namibia’s hasn’t enjoyed much success on the American boxing arena and recent attempts by the likes of Moses, Indongo and Kautondokwa all proved fruitless.
Namibia’s former world champion Moses was last year narrowly outpointed by Mexican-born America-based Raymundo Beltran during their WBO world lightweight title contest at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Nevada. Former triple world champion Indongo had earlier also fallen short against another American Terence Crawford during their WBO/WBC/WBA unification world title bout at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Nebraska.
Kautondokwa remains the latest victim of Namibia’s American boxing safari, after the hard-punching Namibian was outwitted by America’s Demetrius Andrade and in the process failing to capture the then vacant WBO world middleweight title at the TD Garden in Boston, US.
Fast forward, come tomorrow at the Eaglebank Arena in Virginia, 38-year-old Ambunda will be presented with an epic opportunity to rewrite local boxing history books when he squares off against Fulton Jr, who is 14 years his junior.
At an advanced age of 38, Ambunda continues to defy Mother Nature with scintillating performances in the ring and subsequently entrenching his name on the global boxing arena. Towards the end of last year, Ambunda outsmarted Singaporean fighter Muhamad Ridhwan to capture the coveted IBO super bantamweight world title.
Before overcoming Ridhwan in Singapore for the IBO crown, Ambunda made easy work of Tanzania’s Nasibu Ramadhan at The Dome in Swakopmund to clinch the World Boxing Council (WBC) international silver super bantamweight title.
Now presented with another opportunity stretch his dominance on the international stage, the Namibian will be expected to throw the entire kitchen sink at the 24-year-old Fulton when they lock horns.
Ambunda, who will be fighting in the US for the first time in his professional career, will find tough competition in the young and furious Fulton, who is yet to taste defeat in his 15 professional fights. The experienced Namibian boasts 27 wins and 2 losses from 29 fights and will look to put up a decent show on foreign soil. Ambunda has won seven of his last eight fights.