Cuban fighter Richar Abril held off a strong challenge from Ugandan Sharif “The Lion” Bogere to win the WBA Light weight title at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bogere who lost a fight in that category for the first time did well in the opening rounds throwing brilliant punches at the Cuban but allowed Abril back into the fight towards the last rounds from round number eight to be specific.
Going into this fight, Bogere’s record stood at 23 wins, 0 loses and 15 KOs while Abril had won 17, lost 3 and possessed 8 KOs.
At the end of the 12 rounds, judges’ unanimous decision showed Abril had won the fight by 115-111,116-110,116-110 points.
With Sharif’s loss, Jackson Asiku remains the last Ugandan boxer in history to claim a World title after he won the International Boxing Organisation featherweight title in New South Wales, Australia.
Uganda’s past world boxing champions include John “The Beast” Mugabi, Ayub Kalule, Cornelius Boza Edwards the others are Ouma and Asiku.