Boxing: Duke Micah retains WBC title

Thomas Snow was determined to play spoiler, but Duke Micah wouldn’t be denied. Making the second defense of his WBC International bantamweight title, Micah’s aggression and volume punching carried him to a ten-round split decision win at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, NY.

Final cards read 97-92 and 97-93 for Micah, and 95-94 for Snow. BoxingAfrica.com scored it 97-92 for Micah.

Snow, 19-4 (12 KOs), didn’t make it easy. The 37-year-old, Maryland native used every ounce of veteran guile to keep his younger, hungrier foe off him.

Micah (22-0, 18 KOs), 26, came forward in the first looking to land the right hand against southpaw Snow. He continued to stalk in the second but struggled to land cleanly upstairs. Snow exhibited solid defense although he offered little in return.

The action was sparse in the third and fourth. Snow simply refused to engage. Ghana’s Micah had more success digging to the body than he did to the head but the crowd was largely silent during those stanzas.

“It was a tough fight,” Micah said afterward. “Snow didn’t really come to fight. He ran most of the time and when I did catch him, he held on for dear life.”

Snow enjoyed several moments in the middle rounds by turning the tables on Micah. When Micah missed, Snow spun him toward the ropes and fired to the ribs. A counter right upstairs slipped through Micah’s guard but the punch lacked any serious pop.

Michael had difficulty getting his offense going against a Snow who refused to engage. The American fought off his backfoot, to keep away from the incoming yet hindered his own ability to throw something meaningful. When Micah closed the gap, he wisely clinched.

The actioned tightened up down the stretch as Snow’s corner implored him to let his hands go. Even so, Micah threw and landed more. He came out for the tenth and final stanza seeking to put a stamp on his performance. Two rights drove Snow toward the ropes. As Micah jumped in, Snow predictably attempted to hold on. Their feet got tangled and Snow tumbled to the floor while Micah threw. Only, he didn’t stop throwing, landing a right on top of Snow’s head as he lay on the canvas.

The infraction cost Micah one point, a point made moot by two of the cards.

“Duke had a tough opponent in front of him,” said co-manager Michael Amoo-Bediako. “He’ll need to improve to challenge the best in the division, but he will. We will make sure to put everything in place for him to do so.

Micah, who is ranked fourth by the WBO and in the WBC’s top 15, moves one step closer to title contention.