Gottlieb Ndokosho won the vacant IBF International Featherweight title when he beat Kakhaber Avetisian of Georgia on a seventh round technical knockout at the Windhoek Country Club.
Avetisian received some heavy blows in the seventh round and decided he had had enough as he failed to come out for the eighth round. With the victory, Ndokosho added the IBF International Featherweight title to his collection after he had previously held the IBF Africa featherweight title.
Both boxers gave the 500-strong crowd a great show as they regularly exchanged quick combinations in the centre of the ring.
Avetisian started faster, landing some quick jabs and combinations in the first round but by the second round Ndokosho started finding his range and landed some big blows to the delight of the crowd.
Ndokosho had the crowd up on its feet in the third round when he displayed some great hand speed, pummeling away at Avetisian’s head and body, but the Georgian fought back bravely and landed some quick combinations of his own.
Ndokosho was however getting the upper hand and by the fourth round Avetisian sported a red welt under his left eye.
Avetisian started each round by touching gloves, but at the start of the fifth round Ndokosho spurned this gesture and immediately went on the attack.
Avetisian was stunned for a moment but soon fought back and the crowd went wild as the two boxers slugged it out toe-to-toe at the centre of the ring.
Round six was slower but by the seventh round they were at it again, with Avetisian taking the fight to Ndokosho with quick combinations, but the Namibian fighting back with powerful punches to the head and body.
The pressure was relentless and at the end of the seventh round Avetisian decided he had had enough as he failed to come out for the eighth round.
It was a fine performance by Ndokosho who now has a record of 15 wins, three defeats and one draw.
In another title fight Abraham Ndaendapo made short work of South Africa’s Mxolisi Nombewu to win the IBF Africa super featherweight title on a first round TKO.
Ndaendapo caught Nombewu on the ropes with some sharp combinations and put him down with a right hook at the end of the first round. In the process, Nombewu sprained his ankle and although he managed to beat the count, he was clearly in pain as he hobbled around the ring. The bell saved him but after an inspection by the ring doctor he decided to call it a night and failed to come out for the second round.
In an exciting middleweight fight over ten rounds Johannes Mwetupunga beat George Ndlolu of South Africa on a unanimous points decision. Although all three judges scored the fight in Mwetupunga’s favour, the South African gave a fine performance before going down 96-94, 98-92, 97-96.
Ndlolu came out attacking, shading the early rounds, but Mwetupunga started to find his range by the second round with some combinations and counter-attacks.
By the fourth round Ndlolu rocked Mwetupunga with a right hook, but Mwetupunga fought back and at the end of the round was chasing Ndlolu round the ring.
By the sixth round Mwetupunga started landing some big hooks and although the South African fought gamely back, Mwetupunga was well in charge as he finished the final rounds stronger.
In another exciting fight, Namibian featherweight champion Tommy Nakashimba was pushed all the way before beating Immanuel Andreki on a split decision over eight rounds.
After a cautious start the fight came alive in the third round as both boxers exchanged big punches.
By the fourth round Andreki launched an all out attack but Nakashimba fought back as both boxers slugged it out to wild cheers from the crowd.
The fight ebbed to and fro with both boxers landing some big blows, but in the final rounds Nakashimba finished stronger.
It was a very close fight with two judges ruling in Nakashimba’s favour, 78-76, 77-76, while a third had it 77-76 in Andreki’s favour.
A junior middleweight fight between Teofelus Jatileni and Lukas Ndafoluma was declared a no contest after Jatileni withdrew at the end of the third round due to a cut on his head.
The WBF Intercontinental super flyweight title fight between Smokey Joe Hilongwa and Raul Eliseo Medina of Argentina failed to materialise after Medina failed to arrive for the fight. According to reports he was held up at Oliver Tambo airport in Johannesburg and sent back to Argentina due to visa problems.
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