Energy wins as China’s Wang refuses to buckle
Boxing
The tough Chinese fighter displayed a chin of solid rock against the Namibian's variety of attacking shots.
The Tribute to Dr. Hage Gotfried Geingob boxing bonanza hosted by MTC Nestor “Sunshine” Tobias Promotions took place at Ramatex on Saturday evening. Fillipus “Energy” Nghitumbwa showed resilience and the big engine he is known for, as he successfully defended his WBO international super bantamweight title against China’s Dekang Wang.
It took all 12 rounds for Energy to win by unanimous points decision as the tough Chinese fighter displayed a chin of solid rock against the Namibian's shot selection that included frequent uppercuts.
Identical scores of 116-112 in favour of Nghitumbwa were delivered by the three judges at ringside.
There were no knockdowns in the entire fight, with a relentless tempo from both sides, and the visitor coming through strongly in the second half of every round with eye-catching combinations of his own – often causing the home supporters to momentarily fear for the safety of their man.
Happy after the fight, former WBO Global title contender Nghitumbwa said: “This win means a lot to me. I will maybe now see myself back in the top-ten or maybe top-five of the world rankings. Wang gave me a tough fight and I applaud him for that.”
Wang, a powerhouse on the Asian scene who held a perfect record before the fight with nine fights and no losses, experienced his first career defeat after a hard-fought 12 rounds against the Namibian.
Wang after the fight remained very optimistic. “It was a good fight and I had a good opponent. I'm looking forward to my next fight and I’m excited for the future.”
With international fights on the program spectators were thrilled with excitement as Jeremia Nakathila also delivered a showpiece against Zimbabwe’s Evans Hasuyihwevhu. Their non-title fight lasted the full ten rounds before Nakathila was announced the winner. Only a single judge awarded one round to the Zimbabwean as Namibia’s 34-year-old former world title contender cruises onwards with a professional record of 24-4 (19 knockouts).
Super middleweight danger man Paulinus (John John) Ndjolonimus delivered a sixth-round TKO against Clever Sithole of Zimbabwe, following a familiar career pattern of finding a killer blow in later rounds.
In the only amateur exhibition fight at light heavyweight, teenager Pieter Kotze’s three rounds against the much older, counter-attacking Philippus Shilongo.
With loud music playing in memory of the late president, Geingob's legacy as a supporter of Namibian boxing will not be forgotten any time soon.
It was an entertaining night at Ramatex with a number of undercard bouts, and a female exhibition match.