3.5.2008- By Geoffrey Mpenda @ ringside: In Nairobi, Kenya, Timebomb International Promotions put on a six-fight afternoon card at the Club Afrique featuring seasoned veterans as well as up-and-coming talent. No titles were at stake, but a decent crowd got entertaining bouts even though all favourites went home with victories..
At flyweight, 46-year-old former WBA Intercontinental champion James Wanene made a comeback after two and a half years, and was certainly not put in over his head with professional debutant Mike Elly. Wanene, who in his last fight was stopped by current IBF world champion Dmitry Kirilov, won a unanimous decision after four rounds, and padded his record which now reads 15-6 (2).
Wanene was never known for his punching power, but his technical skills took him to ten straight victories before loosing to Englishman Peter Culshaw for the Commonwealth title way back in 1996. His bright future is now almost definitely behind him. His best victory came in 1995, when he decisioned South African Mzukizi Sikali who later went on to capture IBO and WBU titles.
Super middleweight puncher Samson “The Hammer” Onyango took a six-round unanimous decision over former ABU title-challenger Kennedy Oyolo. Onyango outboxed Oyolo clearly, but failed to finish him off despite shaking him several times. Oyolo recived eight-counts in both the second and third round, but managed to stay on his feet for the final bell. Onyango is now 14-2 (10) and looking for bigger assignments. Coming off a victory in his previous bout, Oyolo reportedly drops to 10-13-4.
Undefeated lightweight John “Sweet Pea” Gicharu won all six rounds against spoiler Bob Obala, and looks promising. Mombasa-based Obala, known for his dirty style of fighting, was controlled well by the prospect, and was probably a little too durable for his own well-being. He was not allowed to ruin the gameplan of Gicharu, who cruised to victory and improved his record to 9-0 (4). Obala is now 4-10 (2).
Veteran former national featherweight champion David Kiilu, today fighting at lightweight, annihilated Mwangi Wacuka, who was clearly out of his debt against the stylish southpaw. Kiilu, coming off a long break due to injury, went to work from the first second, and caught Wacuka clean on the jaw and knocked him out. The referee reach the count of ten at 52 seconds of the first round before raising the hands of the man known as “Silent Danger”. The winner went to 28-8-2 (15), the looser to 4-6 (3).
In a welterweight encounter set for six rounds, undefeated puncher James Kimori looked enroute to stopping journeyman Caleb Amianda after knocking him down in the second and fourth rounds, but Amianda continued to hold excessively, and was disqualified in the fourth before Kimori could finish the job. “Jesse” James Kimori goes to 8-0 (5), Amianda only claims one victory in thirteen bouts (1-12).
Heavyweight Obadia Mwangi improved to 3-2 (0) with a four-round decision over winless Robert Ochung who is now 0-3. Mwangi is reportedly on his way to Russia for a fight against a local hero later this month, and he came out unscratched today.
The show was sanctioned by the Kenyan Professional Boxing Commission.