Obodai Shows Class

Obodai Sai aims a straight left at Isaac Selorm.

Obodai Sai made an emphatic statement last Saturday by launching himself towards an international boxing title after subduing local foe Isaac selorm to retain the national super welterweight title in Accra.

The fight at the Lebanon House lasted all 12 rounds, but the manner of Obodai’s dominance marked him out as easily the better of a combative pair who had responded to GHACAL Promotions’ call to “Put Up or Shut Up”.

As an attraction that had drawn the majority of fans to the venue, the pre-fight tension among fans had been occasioned, to a large extent, by the open bettings among the crowd.

Followed by separate singing bands of sweat-soaked supporters, the two mounted the ring with almost equal confidence, but Selorm quickly gave his backers much to cheer about when he went on the offensive with calculated jabs.

Obodai, the more experienced, at least in terms of fight history and record, retreated at every chance, while countering with his own jabs and body shots.

By the third, the champion had begun exerting control over affairs with more rapid blows, while Selorm moved with more caution at that stage.

If supporters of Selorm had high hopes of an upset, any such thoughts might have evaporated from the seventh round when a hook sent him onto the canvas in what began his gradual slump into a pedestrian in the later stages of the fight.

The bill, which was staged in collaboration with Junior Walaga Promotions, with support from Boost energy drink, also saw Joseph Laryea of the Sonia Gym stop Ali Alabi of Cape Coast in the sixth round to win the vacant national super featherweight title.

In other fights, Isaac Tetteh scored a unanimous points victory over Gabriel Odoi Laryea in a national bantamweight eliminator, Isaac Aryee earned a fourth round TKO over Emmanuel Mensah in a super featherweight contest, Joseph Lamptey achieved a unanimous points victory over Sampson Tettey in a super welterweight contest, while Ernest Amuzu stopped Kojo Dara in the first round of their middleweight contest.

Emmanuel Addo and Michael Ansah fought to a draw in their super featherweight contest.