Up and coming Featherweight boxer, Taiwo “Esepo” Agbaje, emerged the best boxer at the GOtv Boxing Night 19, which held on Sunday night at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.
The pugilist left no one in doubt about his mission right from the first bell, as he twice left former Africa Boxing Union Featherweight title champion, Waidi “Skoro” Usman sprawling in the first round.
A combination of vicious punches delivered at a high speed into the jaw of Usman made him hit the canvass on two different occasions in the first round of the fight.
Although Usman’s staying power kept him in the fight till the last round, but it did not take away the quality boxing display by Agbaje to win the fight and adjudged as the best boxer of the night.
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Agbaje in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the fight said that he was delighted about the outcome of the fight, in which he had to keep working extra hard to overwhelm his opponent.
“Usman is a great boxer, he is well experienced in the ring having been around for many years, and indeed it was not that easy at all.
“I’m glad I proved to my fans my quality, I look forward to bigger fights in the nearest future,’’ he said.
Agbaje was awarded the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy and a cash prize of N1 million after he was adjudged to be the best boxer by journalists in attendance.
The award was his second, after clinching the first of such award at the GOtv Boxing Night 16 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, in 2018.
Another big winner on the night was Nigeria’s Rilwan “Baby Face” Babatunde, the West African Boxing Union (WABU) Welterweight champion, who knocked out Ghana’s Edem Biki in the final round of their fight.
Biki, who was challenging for the WABU champion, bowed out in the final round of their 10 round international challenge contest, following a well delivered combination of blows that left him motionless.
Interestingly, Babatunde had suffered a cut above his right eye in the first round, but he remained undaunted and rallied back dramatically with three devastating left hooks to end the fight well.
While the win saw Babatunde stretch his unbeaten record to nine, it was a first defeat for Biki in 10 fights.
In the national Lightweight challenge, Rilwan “Real One” Oladosu maintained his unbeaten streak, after seeing off Hammed “Ese Hammed” Ganiyu with a win via a unanimous decision.
Also maintaining his unbeaten record is ABU Lightweight champion, Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph, who knocked out Tope “Berinja” Agboola in the second round of their eight-round national Lightweight challenge bout.
The eight-round national Featherweight challenge bout saw Tope “TP Rock” Musa, score a unanimous decision victory over Kazeem “The Light” Oliwo.
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Adeyemi “Spirit” Adekanla defeated Isaac “I-Star” Chukwudi via a split decision in their national light welterweight challenge bout.
In the four-round female national Bantamweight challenge, Rodiat Yusuf saw off Fatima Sanni via a second round technical knockout.
Cynthia “Bobby Girl” Ogunsemilore, made light work of Abiodun “Lady Crusher” Adedeji, by securing a first round technical knockout win.
NAN reports that the fight night witnessed a sellout crowd at the National Stadium as all the boxers that featured in the contest performed maximally to the delight of fans. (NAN)
