SERGE SPRINGS A SURPRISE

Ambomo upsets the touted Mucha

AMEETING of Africaborn former amateur standouts proved to be as intriguing as promised, when Reading’s Zimbabwe native Tamuka Mucha surprisingly lost his unbeaten record to Cameroon’s 2012 Olympian

Serge Ambomo on Chris Sanigar’s charity dinner show in aid of the Paskin Children’s Trust and Norwood at the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

Mucha, an ABA champion in 2012, started brightly, cutting his Rotherhamharing based opponent over the left eye in the first round.

Mucha’s fast hands got the better of stocky Ambomo’s harder single shots, with a lightning left hook dumping Serge on his haunches in the second.

However, Tamuka then neglected his smarter boxing, walking onto a swinging right hand and falling to his knees by the ropes for an eight-count. Mucha was fortunate that Ambomo lost his gumshield as he tried to capitalise on the damage done to the groggy favourite.

Bundled out of the ring as both vied for supremacy, Ambomo kept punching to nick a close and hard-fought victory on points. Referee Robert Williams tallied 57-56 over six sessions.

In the show’s other six-rounder, which Mr Williams scored from ringside for official Chas Coakley, Morgan won the battle of the Joneses by 60-54. Doncaster’s Adam Jones, much better than his record would suggest, is a tough ring tourist. Though try as he might, he came a close second in workrate and accuracy compared to Aberdare’s Morgan Jones. However, Morgan – with a tattoo of an elephant’s head adorning his chest – could not fully deter Adam, despite slowing him with shots downstairs in the last round.

Welshman Sonny Lee secured a points win over Callum Ide of Bognor Regis. Sonny, from Swansea, veered from flashy five-punch combos to potshotting. He triumphed 40-36 for the Williams-coakley pairing.

THE VERDICT An unexpected setback for Mucha, who was recently lined up for a British welterweight title final eliminator for later this year.