Allotey retains WBO Africa title

Ghana claimed two new Africa titles as Patrick Allotey also successfully defended his WBO Africa super welterweight title against Uganda's Badru Lusambya at the Bukom Boxing Arena early yesterday morning.

Despite the unanimous verdict for the WBO champion, fans were unimpressed by the Ghanaian's show in the ring as they expected him to stop his opponent who appeared to have had enough dose of Allotey's earlier aggression.

Allotey looked sluggish after round seven and could not follow up with more jabs anytime his opponent was left loose from combination of upper cuts and jabs but landed more punches on the judges’ score cards. Erasmus Owoo scored it 120-108, while Shadrack Acquaye and May Mensah both scored it 120-109 for Allotey.

The defending champion could not climax the final round with the flurry of jabs and hooks as was anticipated by the fans instead he resorted to clinching Lusambya to the disappointment of fans including former President John Mahama; the Metropolitan Chief Executive of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah; Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, the Minister of Fisheries and Acquaculture; Nii Lante Vanderpuye, the NDC MP for Odododiodoo and Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, NDC MP for Ablekuma West among other dignitaries.

The 27-year-old Ghanaian started on a slow note until he was awoken by a left hook that nearly dazed him in the first round. He recovered quickly and then took charge, dominating into the ninth round. Lusambya also provided some moments of brilliance with quick successive body shots to unsettle Allotey but the champion responded with an uppercut that nearly sent the Ugandan to the canvas, but was saved by the ropes.

Ghana's Emmanuel Martey started Ghana’s victory when he won the vacant WBO super middleweight bout against Nigeria's Sunday Ejowu on a technical knockout in the fifth round. The Nigerian did not respond to the bell for the sixth round after Martey had opened a deep cut on his forward after the second round.