On a night of celebrating one of Uganda’s boxing icons, the late Zebra Ssenyange's son, super welterweight Isaac Zebra Ssenyange Jr sensationally knocked out Tanzania’s Ramandani Alibaba Timora.

Dubbed ‘The Zebra Mando Memorial Boxing Championship’ the event saw hundreds of fans fill Lugogo Hockey grounds on Friday.

Ssenyange Jr. made his professional debut having recently announced how he had quit open boxing commonly known as amateur to join the pro ranks.

He had dreamt of making his pro debut on December 29, the same date his late father Zebra Ssenyange was shot dead in 2020, a few kilometers from his home in Bwaise, Kampala.

Indeed, he fulfilled this dream and added icing to the cake doing it in a fascinating style, by forcing Alibaba to retire in the second round.

His renowned lethal left hook looked sharpened like never before, and it is one reason Alibaba failed to go past the second round of what would have been a six-round thriller.

“I thank God for making this come true. I have always dreamt of kickstarting my professional debut on such a day that means a lot in my life,” Ssenyange Jr noted.

“December 29th, 2020 is the day Zebra was killed. I’m honoured to turn pro on the same day we are remembering him. His legacy has to go on.”

From the start of this fight, Ssenyange Jr looked unfazed and too confident for someone who was making his pro debut against an experienced Alibaba with a vast ring record of 32 fights.

Ssenyange Jr’s corner had USA-based Sharif Bogere a former Mayweather promotion and Oscar De La Hoya’s golden boy promotion fighter as his lead seconder on top of Netherland-based Nasser Bukenya.

This event was organized by Big Bang boxing promotion and had a total of eleven bouts.

The now-to-be annual boxing event intends to raise money for the construction of a modern gym for Zebra Boxing Club, a dream left by the late.

Besides gate collections, a total of sh10m was raised.

Moses Muhangi, the Uganda Boxing Federation (UBF) president pledged sh5m as a person on top of promising to render more support as a federation.

He was joined by ‘Don King’ Samuel Lukanga, owner of Lukanga Boxing Club.

“Zebra was like my biological son. I groomed him in boxing until he became my club's head coach. We are going to do everything to make his dream of having a modern gym for his club come true” Lukanga told a mammoth crowd that attended the event.

Mercy Mukankusi Zebra’s widow commended the fans, boxers both in Uganda and abroad, and individuals who financially supported the cause.