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Boxing League: Kibira, Ringo shine in Week Three
Owen Kibira (R) knocked out against Bashir Serugo in the first round in the in the 71kg category. PHOTOS/JOHN BATANUDDE
What you need to know:
Both defeated at the National Open finals in late April, Kibira and Ringo badly needed victory to launch their Season Three league campaigns.
The best answer to criticism is perfecting one’s trade—doing things doubters think you can’t. And that’s exactly what Owen Kibira and Aziz Ringo—the best performers at Week Three of the Uganda Boxing Champions League—did.
Both defeated at the National Open finals in late April, Kibira and Ringo badly needed victory to launch their Season Three league campaigns.
And both got it, convincingly. First, was Ringo, a new heavyweight, known for sheer power and dirty fighting—basically for lack of skill.
Ukasha Matovu (red) defeated Edward Mukwaya in the 67kg category.
“It’s likely to be a boring fight,” a neighbour whispered to me, as James Baraka entered the red corner. “Unless Ringo has improved,” I responded. “Impossible,” my neighbour said.
But within the first minute, it was evident the coaches at Kololo Boxing Club had done a good job in the past two months, as Ringo showcased boxing basics. He was jabbing right and following up with a lethal left hook that troubled Baraka all night.
He stood well, moved well, and had stamina. Like a promising fighter. No longer the guy who swung hands with an entire body almost in flight.
Boxing Fans who attended the Boxing Champions league at Lugogo.
He must work on his head movement to avoid being hit as often, but he also showed that his jaw can take a punch. Baraka and whoever watched Ringo’s last fight were shocked by how the boy from Arua had swiftly fixed his flaws to become a legit fighter.
You would even wonder why the judges took long to announce the 4-3 split decision in Ringo’s favour, and few would have complained even if it was 5-0.
Need I talk about his sense of style? Ringo accentuated his well-toned body with a yellow-tinted haircut. In celebration, the heavyweight somersaulted.
Next, Kibira, haunted by that controversial loss to newcomer Nerrick Tumusiime in the Open final, returned to the fully-packed Lugogo Indoor Arena with much to prove. He needed an emphatic victory against Bashir Serugo, another stubborn newcomer.
Makindye Division mayor Ali Kasirye Nganda Mulyanyama (R) with Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) president Moses Muhangi.
But Kibira, aka the Matrix, didn’t even need a full minute of the five rounds. One left hook just after the first bell, injected enough venom that sent Serugo awkwardly down.
The referee could have stopped it. His corner could have thrown in the towel. But he staggered his way back to beat the ref’s count.
Then Kibira, aware of the damage he had done, unleashed a second dose to kill off the game. One right hook to the head knocked Serugo off his feet, another threw him down near the doctor’s corner. It was over.
Champions League
Selected results
Ukasha Matovu def. Edward Mukwaya, 67kg
Sauda Muhammed def. Fatuma Nabikolo, 54kg
Owen Kibira KO. Bashir Serugo, 71kg
Murushid Kiggundu def. Benon Balyegesa, 54kg
Aziz Ringo def. James Baraka vs, 92kg
Swalla Halima def. Hamza Kemisi, 48kg (youths)
