Joshua Clottey vs. Azizi Abdallah Mponda & Prince Octopus Dzanie vs. Shabani Hashimu Zuberi RBR

Round 1

Clottey is walking Mponda down with his signature high turtle shell guard. Clottey wearing a bit of extra solidity from his prime, largely muscle, a bit of fat, just overall more top-heavy. Clottey pumping out the jab as Mponda dances around him with hooking flurries. Mponda occasionally pausing to drop a few slashes beneath Clottey's elbows, raking against his stomach. Clottey grinds his way in close and works an uppercut into the belt line. They hook together and block each other. Clottey shells up as Mponda rattles off several jabs into the guard and then whips a few left hooks below it. Clottey dodges an uppercut swaying backward and slingshots inside, catching Mponda in a tie-up. Mponda probably 300% busier than Clottey, not connecting a very high clip but doing pretty much all the scoring there's been.

10-9 Mponda

 

Grandmaster already looks a bit tired on his stool, he barely did anything!

 

Round 2

Clottey is biding his time, soaking up jabs & flurries by Mponda. Clottey waiting for his moment, watching, predatory. Finally he unloads a short counter right and Mponda goes down hard! Mponda beats the ref's count, barely. Time in. Clottey jumps on him but the ref separates them for some reason, giving Mponda some instructions before signaling another continuance. Mponda now desperately uppercutting with both hands into the guard, then hooking the hips, anything to hold Clottey off, just surviving.

10-8 Clottey

19-18 Clottey

 

Round 3

Clottey is chasing Mponda from pillar to post with just the stiff jab delivered straight out from the high guard. Mponda in a full spring around the ring, snapping pivots at the corners, doing everything he can to stay the hell away from Clottey and clinching when he must. The ref is literally slapping Mponda's arms down to get him to release his clutches on Clottey. Not a single punch thrown in anger by Mponda, just 'leave me alone' flurries on the backfoot.

10-9 Clottey

29-27 Clottey

 

Round 4

Clottey is doing a pretty efficient job cutting the ring off, taking incisive long diagonal steps in the direction he anticipates Mponda to be moving, and mostly guessing correctly. After heading Mponda off by the ropes, Clottey either drills a jab into his forehead or tries a skewering right on the body. Mponda flinging his arms roundhouse in a very loose manner, trying more to wrap his elbows around Clottey's neck and pull him into a clinch than land a real hook. Clottey's head is pushed down as he grinds in, and the ref warns him for billygoating into Mponda's crotch, which clearly wasn't Clottey's intention. Mponda is flurrying wildly into the gloves and uppermost rounding of Clottey's dome, while getting muscled into the ropes. Clottey feints with a couple of jabs and smashes Mponda with a heavy right hand in the corner. Mponda ties up.

10-9 Clottey

39-36 Clottey

 

This guy is the former Tanzanian welterweight champion..


Guess they've got a REALLY deep talent pool in that country.