Anyetei Wins C’Wealth Title
Super bantamweight Anyetei Laryea gave Ghana a second major boxing title in two weeks when he stopped Englishman Isaac Ward in four rounds to win the Commonwealth title at the Leisure Centre in Peterlee County, Durham, UK, last Friday.
Laryea, affaectionately called The Chameleon back home, dropped the champion in the third and the fourth rounds and left him with a bloodied nose which compelled Ward's cornermen to intervene.
In a summary of proceedings, the BBC said “Isaac Ward was comprehensively beaten by Ghanaian Anyetei Laryea to lose his Commonwealth super bantamweight in his first defence”.
Ward, who won the vacant title by beating Francis Miyeyusho in January this year, had since not fought until he met Laryea.
The 30-year-old Briton fought bravely at the start but faded quickly as the Ghanaian warmed himself into the fight, landing freely jabs and hooks that forced some applause from the partisan crowd.
By the end of the third round, it was obvious the champion needed greater power to overcome the confident Laryea, but any effort towards recovery landed the champion in further trouble as he went down a second time from Laryea's barrage of blows in the fourth round, forcing his cornermen to throw in the towel.
The Ghanaian jumped into the arms of his cornermen as he punched the air in celebration of a feat that eluded him once when he lost to another Briton, Nicky Cook, in a challenge for the Commonwealth featherweight title on October 24, 2003.
Laryea's victory adds to bantamweight Joseph Agbeko's IBF title which he won from Nicaraguan Luis Alberto Perez on September 29 as Ghanaian boxing experiences a renaissance in fortunes.