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How Nyanzi became national welterweight champ
Nyanzi and his younger fans flaunting the National Welterweight belt. PHOTO/ABDUL-NASSER SSEMUGABI
What you need to know:
Nyanzi enjoyed most of the first round
Whoever waited until 5:20 am Sunday did not regret thanks to riveting action as Joshua Nyanzi beat Mubarak Seguya to the National Welterweight title during Nara Promotions’ Sweet Science Season Three at the fully-packed New Obligato.
Nyanzi enjoyed most of the first round, checking Seguya with jabs and hooks, mostly to the body, while dodging a few from his opponent. But towards the end of the round, Seguya pinned him in the red corner, and rocked him with hooks and uppercuts, highlighting what was on the menu in the next nine rounds.
Seguya continued his revival by winning in round two with solid right hooks to Nyanzi’s head. Same case in round three, though Nyanzi, slowing down and returning to his natural orthodox stance, did not waste any chances to at least tickle Nyanzi’s torso.
In the fourth, Nyanzi regained his control with excellent body shots. Shooting the head would have put him comfortably in the lead, but his hooks and uppercuts often missed.
But specialising in body shots and denying Seguya space to unleash his lethal right gave him the fifth and sixth rounds.
In the seventh, Seguya eventually escaped the capture, got his distance, lured Nyanzi into the red corner, again, and tortured him till the bell rescued him. Drums and horns shouted. Few wanted this boy from Dubai, a child when Seguya was boxing, to humiliate the no-nonsense veteran.
But the deadlocked boy from Dubai was serious. He didn’t even use the ring stool. The eighth round was close. But Nyanzi took the ninth amid some showboating. Then in the 10th and last round—where Seguya needed a knockout—Nyanzi won. Cornered again, he incurred some punishment though he shrugged it off, before retaliating with a flurry of punches and pushes.
Back in the middle of the ring, Nyanzi eventually scored those clear shots to the head, some uppercuts, to finish strong. He jumped to the ropes in jubilation, clearly sure of victory. And the judges unanimously agreed that the boy nicknamed Syder Joshua is the new National Welterweight champion— a title Seguya won last year—
“It was a good fight. The opponent was up to the task. The delays might not have enabled us to give the best show, but that will suffice and I’m happy for this title. Next, we want the continental and world titles, Inshallah,” Nyanzi said after his 10th pro win, after one loss. Seguya lost his fifth amid 13 victories.
Earlier, John Serunjogi had defeated Juma Misumali unanimously, the Tanzanian who came in late after South Africa-based Jason Medi failed to travel.
Meanwhile, Abdul Njego shocked Musa Ntege with a terrific knockout early in the second round—a left hook to the chin that sent the former East & Central Africa Cruiserweight champ in a nap.
Salima Tibesigwa defeated Kenyan Nicholine Achieng in a pulsating encounter.
