Pugilist Mandonga shuts up Kenyan critics after silencing Wanyonyi, Okwiri wins

Tanzanian pugilist Karim Mandonga had the final laugh, a loud and good one for that matter, in the wee hours of Sunday at iconic Kenyatta International Convention Centre after he made good his pledge to outbox Kenyan Daniel Wanyonyi in a non-title super middleweight 10 rounds fight.

The pre-fight had got all the media hype associated with major bouts, where millions of dollars are up for grabs, but on this, it was a mere ‘warm-up’ fight but Mandoga made good use of his tongue and boisterousness to get the media hooked onto his every word ahead of the bout.

And at the KICC, the first two rounds were evenly matched for the two pugilists but Mandoga had a secret weapon, he unleased killer blows in the sixth round to leave Wanyonyi out of sorts, transfixed on the canvas, technically knocking him out as Mandonga was cheered on by his adoring fans.

Every time Wanyonyi found himself on a tight corner, he moved from one corner of the ring to the other at least to give himself a chance to prolong the game, but to no avail.

That's when the referee decided to end the contest by TKO, a judgment of a knockout given when a boxer is, in the referee's opinion, too badly beaten to continue without risk of serious injury.

The 43-year-old Tanzanian fighter is popularly known for his comical statements before bouts, is now unbeaten in five fights, one draw with two knockouts while Wanyonyi has won 27 fights (22 KOs), lost 15 and drawn two.

At the same time, Kenya’s boxing poster boy Rayton Okwiri lived up to his billing to beat Tanzanian opponent Ndaro Shabani in an eight-round middleweight fight on unanimous decision.

The KICC has been a good hunting ground for the soft-spoken Okwiri and he did it yet again before home fans winning 80-72, 80-72 and 89-73.

Other than Okwiri, ailing pugilist Conjestina Achieng’ is the other Kenyan boxer who’s in the past thrilled boxing enthusiasts at the venue.

Okwiri has now won 11 fights, 6KOs, a draw and a loss.