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In what was the most significant
night of boxing in recent years
in the Democratic Republic of
The Congo, one local hero
impressed while the other
thoroughly disappointed.
Undefeated welterweight Ilunga
Dominique is the new Universal
Boxing Organization
International Welterweight
champion, after defeating
countryman Tumbu Berros on
Saturday March 20. An
enthusiastic crowd saw Dominique win most rounds, but it was
a very entertaining battle
between hungry fighters eager to
capture the UBO belt.
At the end of ten rounds
24-year-old Dominique was
awarded a unanimous decision,
and UBO supervisor, and West &
Central Africa representative,
Claude Kaninda presented the new
champion with his well deserved
belt. With the victory Dominique
improves to 8-0-1, 1 KO, while
Berros drops to 8-3-3, 1 KO.
The show, promoted by Manda
Mukadi at the Stadium Kabila in
Lubumbashi, was supposed to be a
UBO championship double-header,
but the International Super
Welterweight title fight between
Mungulu Okanime and Kulibali Ali
from Mali could not be
recognized as a title fight when
Okanime failed to make the
weight by several kilos.
The unprofessionalism of Okanime
was a very disappointing turn of
events for both the organizers
and the fans, but it could,
after all, not overshadow the
joy it brought that the D.R.C.
now has a new boxing champion to
adore. |
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