Wasike crowned Commonwealth boxing champion as controversy rocks Nairobi fight-night
Reading Time: 4min | Sat. 27.06.26. | 12:28
The 33-year-old Kenyan landed the cruiserweight title, becoming the sixth Kenyan to hold the belt
Kenyan boxer Joshua ‘De Champ’ Wasike added another title to his name after being crowned the new International Commonwealth Cruiserweight champion on Friday, 26 June at Mass House, Ngong Road.
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Wasike, 33, lay claim to the vacant belt after securing a dominant third-round Technical Knock-Out (TKO) over Malawi’s Antony Banda in the main event of the ‘Nightmare in Nairobi V’ show, organized by Kalakoda Promotions.
Billed to be a brutal 10-round contest, the last act of the evening was a pale contrast of many fans' expectations, as the fight descended into a near farce, thanks to the unprofessional approach by Banda, who fighting in enemy territory, resulted into showboating, and excessive holding.
Unperturbed, Wasike kept his cool in the opening two rounds, before securing two crucial knockdowns in the third round, which ultimately ended up to be the highlights of a fight that left a lot to be desired.
Banda, coming in with a 4-1-0 record, had been expected to offer stern opposition to a man looking to solidify his name on top of the continent, but astonishingly showed the face of an unserious boxer, right from the bell.
If not clinging to Wasike - an act that saw him deducted a point in the second round - Banda was either in his corner taking the stern words of referee Julius Odhiambo, or on his knees on the canvas, as the 10-counts to his two knockdowns ticked over.
At the end of the third round, a busy Odhiambo had seen enough, ending the contest in favor of homeboy Wasike, who could not have fought in any easier bouts.
“A massive thanks to my wife, my team, and the fans who came out tonight, and have always supported me,” Wasike, who with the win, became only the sixth Kenyan to hold a Commonwealth title, said post-fight. “The fight was what it was, but this win is for Kenya, and we are just getting started.”
Having begun boxing at the tender age of 13, Wasike, by receiving the blue belt from Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) President Rueben Ndolo, claimed his biggest title to date, adding to the East and Central African title he won in late February.
Meanwhile in the accompanying main event, Kenya’s Nicholas ‘Makaveli’ Mwangi bagged a controversial victory over Tanzania’s Hussein Pendeza in a thrilling men’s lightweight contest.
Mwangi, fighting in his second bout under Kalakoda, was treated to a cacophony of boos after being declared winner by split decision, having outlasted fan-favorite Pendeza in a full-blown eight-rounds.
Mwangi, having dominated the first four rounds of the fight, was reduced to hide behind his guard in the latter stages of the contest, after a charging and heavy-punching Pendeza lit up the fuse, convincing many in attendance that he had done enough to emerge victor.
The scorecards, however, told a different story, as Mwangi was declared winner by split decision, the judges scoring the bout 75-77, 75-74, 77-76.
Upon the announcement of the result, Mwangi’s celebration in the ring was cut short, as the loud fans in the arena made their disgruntlement heard, some even throwing cans of beer to the centre of the ring.
It would take an over 20-minute break for calm to be restored, just moments before the last event of the night unfolded.
On a night lacking the usual star names, Kenya’s rising boxer Abdi ‘Boy Wonder’ Beshir dazzled yet again, streaking away to a comfortable win over Tanzania’s Lucas Onesmo in an all-action six-round lightweight contest.
Beshir, on his second assignment under Kalakoda, showcased his variety and quick-thinking as he stood on business to a receptive crowd, earning a 60-53, 60-53, 60-53 unanimous judges’ decision to his favor.
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Kenya Defense Forces’ boxer Lawrence Okuta, meanwhile, added color to the night, as he floored South Sudanese opponent Majdi Ahmed Suleiman with a powerful overhand-right in the second round of a light heavyweight showdown.
Okuta, making his debut under Kalakoda, impressed many with his brave style, and was rewarded with a big stoppage that extended his unbeaten professional record to 3-0.
In the heavyweight bout, Kenya’s Rogers ‘Oty Baba’ Otieno secured a gutsy third-round TKO win over Tanzania’s Ally Rhamadani, while the experienced Gabriel Ochieng punched the air out of a diminutive Abubakar Chikoyo in the first round of their featherweight contest.
The opening fights of the night saw the Kenyan duo of Fred Nyakesha and Emmanuel ‘Manucho’ Njereman also emerge victors, securing wins over Thomas Haule (Tanzania) and Brian Oyeti (Uganda), via first-round TKO, and unanimous decision, respectively.