By Ron Jackson
South African super-middleweight champion Rowan Campbell from the Smiths Gym retained his IBO All-Africa super-middleweight title for the first time with a 10 round unanimous points decision over Yanga Phetani from the Western Cape in a grueling affair at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park on Friday night. The scores were 98-93, 98-92 and a rather wide 99-91.
The 39-year-old Phetani (75.35kg) put up a better fight than expected against the much younger Campbell (75,75kg).
Campbell made a fast start to take the first round but in the second round Phetani buckled his knees with a good right to the head to possibly shade the round.
The aggressive come forward fighting style by the superbly fit Campbell proved too much for the game challenger who was never really in the fight but was able to score with some good shots to the body and head which left Campbell with puffiness under his eyes.
However, Campbell was a clear winner at the end of a fight that was pedestrian at times.
Campbell improved his record to 10-0; 6 and the light punching Phetani’s record dropped to 14-3-1; 4.
BOYD ALLEN RETAINS WBA PAN AFRICAN TITLE ON A SLIT DECISION
Boyd Allen (69.55kg) retained the WBA Pan African junior-middleweight title on a highly controversial 12 round split decision against the more experienced Brandon Thysse (69.35kg) in the best bout of the evening.
One judge scored it a ridiculous 119-113 for Thysse and other two judges had it 115-113 for Allen.
Many at ringside were appalled at the scores and felt that the champion was at the least a six point winner.
Allen 4-0; 3 was in control through most of the rounds against the sluggish Thysse and made him miss on numerous occasions as he lunged forward swinging wildly and missing badly. .
When the champion changed to southpaw at times he left Thysse 10-2-1; 9 in disarray and even though he had a big last round against the tiring Allen it was not enough.
OTHER RESULTS
In the opening bout of the evening, junior-middleweight Aidin Quin (69.50kg) stopped the much lighter Thulani Mdluli (66.45kg) at 1 minute and 5 seconds into the second round.
In a middleweight contest, Tristan Truter (68.90kg) outpointed Ettiene van Niekerk (70.20kg) over four rounds.
The promising young junior-middleweight Roarke Knapp (69.65kg) was just too strong for the battle-worn southpaw Wynand Mulder (68.90kg) and won on a second round knockout. The time was 1:22.