|
The World Boxing Federation’s
International Cruiserweight
crown was his – until a split
second of utter madness cost
Prince Anthony Ikeji the title
and his unbeaten record in this
clash of German-based Africans
on PunchUp Boxing’s show in
Siershahn, Germany, on March 6.
Nigerian Ikeji (89,5 kg)
outweight hometown favourite Ben
Nsafoah (81,5 kg) and true to
his reputation began to move
forward in search of an opening
for his hugely destructive right
fist. Nsafoah, who came to
Germany aged 2 from his native
Ghana, was contend to box,
retreat and have a good look –
not a bad idea as such, seing
that Ikeji, 7-0 (5) coming in,
had never done more than four
rounds in his short pro career.
That all mattered little in this
scheduled 10-rounder when the
first Ikeji bomb detonated on
Nsafoah’s chin. It send the
27-year-old back on rubber legs,
only the ropes preventing his
fall, but Ben somehow managed to
survive and see out an exciting
first round.
Nsafoah, seemingly fully
recovered, was back in his
competend boxing gear in round
two, while Ikeji kept cooly on
the chase, not waisting punches,
but looking for the finisher.
Indeed, he found it, when
another full-blooded right
crashed against Nsafoah’s face
and this time made him sink to
the floor. Nsafoah was on his
knees near the ropes in an
already dazed state and before
referee Hans Joachim Karge was
in position to start the count –
to the shock of everyone at
ringside – Ikeji unleashed
another thunderous right from
the side into the unprotected
face of Nsafoah.
Mayhem almost broke loose with
everyone shouting and screaming,
while Nsafoah got back to his
feet, but was correctly ruled
unfit to continue. His facial
expression was such that he
seemed the only person who had
no clue what had just
transpired.
Ikeji was rightly disqualified,
having achieved to snap defeat
from the jaws of victory. The
new WBFed International
cruiserweight titleholder Ben
Nsafoah, though, was clearly not
as happy as a new champion can
be expected under normal
circumstances. For the record,
Nsafoah, now 8-2-2 (4), also
retained his GBA German
cruiserweight belt. |
