Paulus Ali Nuumbembe was in a class of his own as he beat Daniel Kaefer of Germany on a fourth round technical knockout on Friday night. A big crowd of close to 500 fans turned up for the boxing bonanza sponsored by Telecom at the Windhoek Country Club, and Nuumbembe didn’t disappoint them with a professional display.
He controlled the fight from the start and it was soon clear that Kaefer was no match for the Pan African welterweight champion. Nuumbembe pushed the tempo from the start with solid combinations and a high work rate. Kaefer had a tight defence, holding his hands up high over his face, but Nuumbembe gradually started to find his mark.
Nuumbembe continued to push the pace with sharp jabs and combinations in the second round, while Kaefer didn’t offer much, lumbering along mostly, and trying to get closer to Nuumbembe.
The third round was Kaefer’s best, as he stood toe to toe with Nuumbembe, exchanging blows in the middle of the ring. But with the 500-odd fans urging Nuumbembe on with cries of “Ali, Ali,” Nuumbembe was sharper and faster as he responded with sharp combinations to Kaefer’s head, opening a cut above his eye.
By the fourth round Kaefer was being totally overshadowed as Nuumbembe continued his barrage of jabs, hooks and combinations, while Kaefer’s face was now a bloody mess. The fight was briefly stopped as the ring doctor inspected Kaefer’s cuts, but he allowed the fight to continue.
Kaefer somehow managed to see out the round but he decided that he had enough and his trainer threw in the towel before the start of the fifth round.
It was a great all-out performance by Nuumbembe who chalked up his 20th victory out of 24 pro fights with three loses and a draw. Kaefer’s record now stands at 12 victories and five defeats in 17 pro fights.
Uushona still undefeated
On the undercard, Tyson Uushona chalked up his 16th consecutive victory as a pro with a convincing unanimous points decision against Modecai Donga of Zimbabwe.
Donga tried to take the fight to Uushona, leading with a strong jab, but Uushona displayed good footwork to stay out of range, and waited for Donga’s guard to slip.
Donga continued to lead in the second round, but Uushona caught him on the counterattack with sharp combinations to the head and body.
By the third round the crowd was up on its feet as Uushona laid into Donga with strong combinations, while he continued to pile up the points with powerful combinations in the fourth round. In the fifth round Uushona had Donga in trouble on the ropes, unleashing an array of punches, but the Zimbabwean showed great courage to fight back. He tried his best to step up the tempo in the final round, but he had no answer to Uushonga’s sharp counter attacks and Uushona went on to win a unanimous points decision.
The three judges scored the fight 60-56, 60-56, 59-56 in Uushona’s favour.
Uushona is still undefeated and he too showed that he has a great future. Four years ago he beat Nuumbembe to win the Namibian welterweight title and on this display he could soon challenge Nuumbembe for his Pan African title, although it is doubtful whether their promoter Nestor Tobias would match them up at this stage.
Meroro wins comfortably
Namibia’s Super Middleweight champion Vikapita Meroro comfortably beat Zimbabwe’s Farai Musiiwa on points over six rounds, with the judges scoring it 60-53, 60-53 and 58-53 in Meroro’s favour. Meroro’s pro record now stands at 14 victories and one defeat, while Musiiwa’s record is 20 victories and 11 defeats from 31 fights.
Tjingavete KO’s Modise
Namibian lightweight Jatoorora Tjingavete stunned South Africa’s Joseph Modise with a first round technical knockout.
Modise came out attacking, but Tjingavete waited for an opening and sent Modise to the canvas with a crunching hook to the chin. Modise managed to get up again, but Tjingavete was all over him and the referee stopped the fight after one minute and 50 seconds of the first round.
Tjingavete’s record now reads nine wins and two defeats from 11 fights, while Modise’s record stands at four victories and three defeats from seven fights.
The other results were as follows:
Welterweight:
Sacky Shikukuku beat Edison Kandukwa on a split points decision, 39-38, 39-37, 38-39.
Welterweight:
Boitsepo Mandawe (South Africa) beat Daniel Kashela on a second round knockout.
Junior lightweight:
Gotltlieb Ndokosho beat Matthew Niitembu on a unanimous points decision, 40-36, 40-36, 40-35.
Peter Malakia beat Martin Haikali on a split points decision, 39-38, 39-37, 38-39.