Boxing News of Tuesday, 1 May 2001

Source: GNA

Veteran Oblitei Commey suffers double agony

Veteran boxer Percy Oblitei Commey, suffered a double agony at the Kaneshie Sports Complex early Saturday morning in a West Africa and National Super featherweight Championship fight against fellow Ghanaian, Smith Odoom.

Oblitei Commey was not only beaten but was also punished severely for skin bleaching. The tall and lanky boxer aged over 40, and a compatriot of Ghana's boxing legend Azumah Nelson started to have the effect of peeling of his thick black skin from the fourth round.

A combination of left-right hooks by stocky Odoom in the early minutes of the forth round opened a deep cut on his right cheek and it became worse before the bell went for the end of the round.

Just as the fight progressed, Oblitei suffered similar cuts in both nostrils and the right ear.

The 6 feet 4 inches tall boxer who stormed the ring, clad in an all white cloth, a white hair gear and spotted new-look jelly curls, was booed and jeered each time he was on the offensive, apparently because of his feminine look.

Both boxers visited the canvas in a blistering second round but from then Odoom took total dominance of the rest of the game, pelting his weak opponent with incessant punches.

By the seventh round, ringside doctors had to step in to give Oblitei medical attention as he had been bleeding profusely. But the boxer refused to listen to his corner men to discontinue the fight until 2:36 minutes in the 11th round when referee Osabutey stopped the fight and crowned Odoom the new West Africa and National Super featherweight champion.

Odoom improved his record to 16-11-3-2 while Oblitei drops to 75-65-6-1.

Ghana's Commonwealth gold medallist, Raymond Narh quickly threw a challenge to the new champion to determine who is the king in that division.

In the other title bout Ghana's Joshua Clottey won a technical knock out against Nigerian Ike Obi in their Africa Welterweight Championship scheduled for 12-rounds. Obi failed to respond to the bell in the 10 round after receiving some hefty punishment from Clottey.

Clottey moves up to 22-21-1 (16 kos) while Obi slumps to 26-21-4-1 (18 kos).

In the others fights at the 'Gbo-ahaa night' put together by Ambition and Nii Armah Promotions, James Toney registered a first round knockout over Anyetei Sowah in an eight round middleweight contest while Joseph Sakordie won a unanimous decision over Romeo Aquaye in a lightweight six-round contest.

In the Super lightweight contest, Lartekwei Hammond won a unanimous verdict against Isaac Quartey.