Uganda's Willy Kyakonye defied the odds to floor Italian Giovanni Auriemma in the 7th round to clinch the World Boxing Federation (WBF) international heavyweight title in the wee hours of Sunday morning, and now the boxer known as The Ring Tiger says he is ready for the big leagues.

Inside a filled Grand Sports Club Wilnis Arena in Utrecht City, Netherlands, the gigantic Ugandan hard puncher entered the ring to the hit song 'Tosobola' sung by his long-time friend and local artist Sheebah Karungi, literally meaning ‘you can't manage’.  

Stationed in the red corner while donning black trunks, Kyakonye stamped his authority from the first bell of this blockbuster to Auriemma's moment of madness when he was left helpless on the canvas.

It was a night on which a gritty Kyakonye showed the boxing world his potential and quality, more evidence that he could punch his way to the league of current elite heavyweights.

Against Auriemma, the former member of The Bombers, the national boxing team outclassed, out-punched and out-competed the Italian with a combo of quality punches to earn himself a standing ovation for his masterclass.

The battle was scheduled to last a marathon 10 rounds but saw Auriemma surrender in the 7th round when Kyakonye landed a killer right jab to the left chin.

With Auriemma wobbling on the canvas, the Italian failed to beat Moroccan referee Mufadel Elghazaoui's count.

At this point, the party had begun with Kyakonye's fans in wild celebrations while others chanted in Luganda "Awedde, batwongere omulala" meaning he is done and dusted we need another one.

Victory means Kyakonye's unbeaten run since his pro debut in 2017 stands at 11-0-0 ring record with eight knockouts.

More to come

After triumphing against Auriemma, Kyakonye believes more is yet to come from him.

"This was a sweet win for myself, my team and to all my fans world over. It was a do-or-die for my boxing career. And with God on my side, I have managed to get what I wanted,” Kyakonye noted.

"But this is just the beginning. My target is to win every title that will come along my way before I will punch my way to the league of the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou, Deontay Wilder, Oleksandr Uysk and others,” he added.

This was Kyakonye's second belt after cruising to the Dutch heavyweight title last year.

The 2015 Africa Boxing Championship bronze medallist is also the only Ugandan pugilist ever to box at the World Series of Boxing.