Jupiter New featherweight Champ

Theophilus Quaye last Saturday dawn outpointed Cape Coast pride, Ali Alabi, at the Kaneshie Sports Complex to become the new national featherweight champion.Quaye, also known as Jupiter, won the fight 118-116, 118-111 and 119-111 on the three score cards of the judges for the vacant title.

It was a grueling fight that saw Jupiter dominate with power punching and a superior hand speed as Alabi scarcely released his punches from the start to finish.Alabi chased his opponent from the first bell and threw a few weak jabs in the process. But it was Jupiter who showed more seriousness when he countered with strong hooks and overhead shots.

The second round followed a similiar pattern and Alabi began to suffer from the effect of his opponent's consistent blows as he slowed and backtracked on some occasions to recover.By the third round, signs of fatigue had taken its toll on Alabi and he relied heavily on his longer reach to keep Jupiter at a distance. And from that stage, it became obvious that Jupiter was cruising to a win, although his punches remained too weak to floor his opponent.

Alabi attempted a late revival of his fortunes when he took on Jupiter in a mid-ring battle at the start of the ninth round, but when they parted the two settled into the familiar pattern that had characterised the previous rounds.Alabi appeared dazed in the 10th round when Jupiter caught him with a right hook, but the Cape Coast pride clinched to survive a knockdown.

The first minute of the last round, like in the previous round, was characterised by an early show of give-and-take which left neither in danger and both boxers virtually walked through the rest of the time with little adventure. On the same 'Friday Night Fight' put together by Ambition and Nii Armah Promotions, Ghana's Osumanu Adama retained his West Africa super welterweight title with a third round TKO over Benin's Sechegbe Mathurin.

The fight was stopped after just one minute 24 seconds of the round in an anti-climax that left the Beninoir astonished long after the fight.Adama caught Sechegbe off guard with a firm right hook and the Beninois appeared dazed momentarily as he clung to his opponent and the fight referee stopped proceedings to administer the mandatory count.

But when Sechegbe appeared to have recovered, the referee signalled the end.In other fights, Isaac Quartey won a unanimous points decision over Badu Akueteh in their super lightweight clash, while Osumanu Akaba stopped Mohammed Jet in the fourth round of their featherweight clash.

Salifu Yusif failed to answer the sixth round bell in his featherweight bout with Joseph Laryea, while Jonathan Yartey secured a unanimous points decision over Fasinu Fatiu of Benin in another featherweight clash.

Joshua Okine stopped Sammy Clay of Nigeria after just two rounds, while Philip Kotey won a second round TKO over Baba Musah of Nigeria in their welterweight clash.