Malik Jabir dethrones Ayittey Mettle

The National and West African super bantamweight titles changed hands on Saturday morning when challenger Malik Jabir pummeled champion Ayittey Mettle into a sixth round submission at the Kaneshie Sports Complex to annex both titles.

The fight which was the top card of a six-bout package of Prince and Baseline International Promotions Syndicate defied the form books as Malik overwhelmed the champion right from the first bell.

It came as a matter of course when Ayittey failed to answer the bell for the commencement of the sixth round and referee Godfred Cobblah had no alternative than to declare Malik the winner by a technical knock out.

Indeed Malik's dominance prevailed from the first round when he knocked down Ayittey twice in the round and on both occasions the former champion received the mandatory eight counts from the referee.

In the second round Malik chased Ayittey round the ring and stunned him with some thunderous left and right jabs and hooks but the champion was game enough to remain on his feet and threw a few feeble jabs.

Malik appeared to be slowing down in the third round as Ayittey grew in confidence and traded powerful punches with his opponent to the admiration of fans.

The fourth round saw a more aggressive Malik delivering powerful crosses and uppercuts to the face and midsection of Ayittey who went into a queer crouch that made him an easy target.

By this time Ayittey began bleeding from the mouth and his feet wobbled as he fumbled with a defence tactics that was woefully ineffective.

When the fifth round began Malik staggered Ayittey with a fierce right cross, followed by a stinging left hook to the already battered lips of the champion. He followed it up with straight jabs to the face as Ayittey retreated continually to get a breather.

The champion was saved by the bell but when he resumed his seat in his blue corner he told his handlers he had had enough and could not continue the fight, thus surrendering his championship belts to Malik.

In the under cards Osumanu Akaba scored a second round technical knockout over Emmanuel Odoi in a featherweight contest scheduled for six rounds and Agoe Ashong gained a unanimous points verdict over Ben Ankrah in a fiercely contested six round welterweight duel.

Ben Odametey won a split point decision over Simon Peter Macintosh of Nigeria in a super featherweight contest over eight rounds.