Agbeko Gives Xmas Gift To Ghanaians

Ghana's Joseph King Kong Agbeko delivered a special Christmas gift to his compatriots last Saturday night when he outclassed Yonnhy 'El Colombiano' Perez to reclaim the World IBF Bantamweight title.

After an action-packed bout, Agbeko left no doubt in the minds of the judges as t to who the winner was.

In a rematch of their Halloween 2009 meeting, Agbeko reclaimed the title via unanimous decision with an aggressive and calculated performance at Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma, Washington, USA.

After overworking the punch statistics machine in their first bout last year, Agbeko (28-2, 22 KOs) surprised Perez (20-1-1, 14 KOs) and impressed the SHOWTIME boxing analysts with an excitingly effective strategy throughout the fight.

Displaying excellent defence and choosing his shots wisely, Agbeko dictated the fight's direction through the early rounds with hard right hands and quick combinations.

By the fifth round, the defending champion Perez had a cut over his left eye and began to fight with a sense of urgency.

In a potential Round of the Year sixth round, Perez, of Santa Fe Springs, Calif., turned the match into a brawl as the punches began to fly at a pace much closer to Perez' normal work rate.

The men ditched defence for offence for the full three minutes and were rewarded by a standing ovation at the round's end.

By the seventh, Agbeko of Ghana, regained his composure and continued with his game plan through most of the bout's final six rounds.

The Judges scored the fight a unanimous decision for Agbeko with scores of 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111 to hand Perez his first career loss.

Referencing the IBF belt now in his hands, Agbeko exclaimed, 'This is my meal ticket and I'm glad I got it back. I am presenting it to Ghana as a Christmas bonus.'

When asked about the upcoming tournament final with Mares, he said, 'I've watched Abner Mares. He is a very smart kid. King Kong is always King Kong. I'm going to get the crown from him.'

Respectful in defeat, Perez offered, 'Agbeko had an intelligent fight today and he won fair and square. I did not expect this game plan from Agbeko.'

SHOWTIME boxing analyst Al Bernstein noted, 'Round seven was an important round. Agbeko stemmed the tide of the Perez onslaught.' Showing not a speck of ring rust after a 13-month break from boxing, Agbeko's victory not only put the IBF title back in his position but earned him a spot in the tournament's finals in 2011 against the other Bantamweight winner on the night Abner Mares.