SALUTE Boxing Academy enjoyed mixed fortunes over the festive period with Paulus Ambunda clinching the WBC international bantamweight title as Vikapita Meroro again courted controversy abroad.
On Friday, Ambunda scored a unanimous points victory (118-109, 115-113, 118-108) over Tanzanian counterpart Nasibu Ramadhan at the Desert Rumble boxing bonanza inside The Dome at Swakopmund, where former two-time world champion Harry Simon was a no-show.
“I have worked very hard for this fight. I’m ready for another title shot,” Ambunda said after his 26th career victory.
Ambunda’s performance showed the former WBO bantamweight and IBO super bantamweight world champion still has the ability and desire to fight for major titles, Salute’s public relations officer Armas Shivute told The Namibian Sport.
“He deserves the belt. I know some people maybe expected a knock-out, but Ramadhan was not a push-over. He fought well, and you could see he was an experienced fighter. Ambunda was just better throughout the fight,” Shivute said.
In the main supporting bout, hometown favourite Albinius ‘Danny Boy’ Felesianu had a short work day as his thundering left hook sent Raston Kayira from Malawi crashing to the deck after 47 seconds in the second round of their lightweight bout.
Similarly impressive was Vakufilapo ‘Cowboy’ Nashivela, who won the vacant WBF Africa junior middleweight title after stopping South African George Mduli inside 47 seconds of the opening round.
The fight night, arguably the biggest the coastal town of Swakopmund has ever seen, was co-hosted by Kalakoda Promotions from South Africa and the Salute Boxing Academy. Kwesé Sport aired the fight live to more than 30 countries in Africa.
The opportunity to show if he still had what it takes passed the once-revered Harry Simon by on Friday as he failed to show up for his fight against run-of-the-mill Tanzanian Said Mbelwa “for reasons only known to him”.
Meanwhile, Meroro’s return to the ring may have been his last after another meek showing when being knocked out in the first round by Maxim Vlasov of Russia in Moscow on 21 December.
His timid showing did little to dispel suggestions that the once-fearsome Beastmaster is past his sell-by date, and was just after a last pay check.
“If it was up to me, I will not organise another fight for Meroro again,” said Shivute, hinting that Salute are likely to offload the troubled fighter.
After several fruitless efforts to show anything, the 32-year old Namibian ate a right/left combo by Vlasov and chose to go down in what was meant to be great pain, but somehow didn’t look that way. Meroro produced several attempts to get into the upright position following a couple of visibly light shots, and failed.
What transpired in Russia was reminiscent of his previous fight when he threw in the towel against South African Kevin Lerena in February last year, having clung to his rival for five rounds without offering anything in return.
Then, Meroro, at that time part of the MTC Sunshine Boxing Academy, forfeited his purse, and subsequently announced his retirement before resurfacing at Salute in August.
“It hurts us. He let the country down. I cannot defend him. We don’t defend failures. If we lose, we should lose in a way that people see we came to fight,” Shivute stressed.
“When he crossed over from Sunshine, we had a concise chat with him, and he made us understand that what happened in South Africa was a mistake, and that he was not well-prepared to fight.”
“We gave him a second chance. Everybody deserves a second chance,” Shivute continued.
“He worked hard, and was all fired up. But when he entered the ring, he became a different Meroro. He was not doing anything. It was embarrassing. We are waiting on the chairman [Kriata Kamanya] to tell us about the way forward.”
In other action at The Dome, Joseph “Smokey” Hilongwa beat Tinkhani Kamanga from Malawi on points (58-56, 58-55, 59-55).
Namibian Jonas Matheus ground out a split decision (58-56, 58-57, 57-57) over Israel Kamwamba of Malawi.
Immanuel Imms Josef beat George Kandulo from Malawi on points (60-54, 60-54, 60-54), while Lazarus Shaningwa beat compatriot Andreas Nghinaunye, also on points (40-35, 40-35, 40-35).
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