Efe Ajagba, a Nigerian heavyweight boxer known for his powerful punches, emerged victorious in a split decision against Italian opponent Guido Vianello on Saturday. The fight took place at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA.
Although both boxers delivered an exciting slugfest, Ajagba managed to navigate the shifts in momentum more effectively. The judges scored the bout 96-94 (twice) in favor of Ajagba and 94-96 for Vianello.
Ajagba, 29 years old and hailing from Ughelli, Nigeria, controlled the middle of the fight. However, he faced challenging moments early and late in the bout. Vianello, also 29 and from Rome, Italy, landed significant shots in the first and second rounds, including a right hand that hurt Ajagba and nearly knocked him out of the ring.
Despite these difficult moments, Ajagba made a strong comeback in the following rounds, outlanding Vianello two to one in the fourth. He became the ring general, using his jab to control the pace and push Vianello back.
Vianello began to tire after his initial surge, launching less offense and eating a left uppercut from Ajagba. In the sixth round, Vianello missed by larger and larger margins, while Ajagba’s uppercut found its target with consistency.
Although Vianello had a brief resurgence in the 10th round, landing several right hands, it was not enough to overcome Ajagba’s earlier dominance. This victory marks Ajagba’s fifth consecutive win in heavyweight boxing.
