Kyakonye climbs to WBC No. 10 as WBF title defence looms after Salek KO
Kyakonye ferociously knocked out Salek at a fully packed Sportcentrum Nicolaas Arena in Rijswijk, Netherlands, in the wee hours of Sunday morning, July 19, to set up his forthcoming blockbuster WBF title defence.
Willy "The Ring Tiger" Kyakonye looks on as Tomas Salek of the Czech Republic crumples against the ropes after a devastating third-round knockout. Courtesy photo
Days after delivering a devastating third-round knockout to Czech Republic's Tomas Salek, Uganda's Netherlands-based heavyweight Willy "The Ring Tiger" Kyakonye has shifted his focus to defending his World Boxing Federation (WBF) heavyweight title.
Kyakonye ferociously knocked out Salek at a fully packed Sportcentrum Nicolaas Arena in Rijswijk, Netherlands, in the wee hours of Sunday morning, July 19, to set up his forthcoming blockbuster WBF title defence.
It will be his second attempt to defend his WBF title, having successfully retained it in October last year with a first-round knockout of Germany's Renke Wittke.
Against Salek, the Ugandan hard puncher once again demonstrated his destructive punching power when he floored the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight title challenger three times before forcing the referee to wave off the contest in the first minute and 37 seconds of the third round.
The defeat came at a heavy price for Salek, who has since been handed a three-month medical suspension by the Dutch Professional Boxing Commission, ruling him out of competition until he fully recovers.
Kyakonye, on the other hand, continues to establish himself among the world's emerging heavyweights. His recent performances have earned him the No. 10 spot in the latest World Boxing Council (WBC) bridgerweight rankings, further underlining his rapid rise on the international boxing scene.
"First of all, I'm so grateful for this knockout since it has paved the way for me to defend my WBF title. With Salek done, my next move is to focus on defending my title in October this year," Kyakonye told Vision Sport.
Besides his ring record, which currently stands at 14-0-0, Kyakonye, a resident of Cambuur Leeuwarden has turned himself into a knockout specialist. Remarkably, 13 of his 14 victories have come by knockout, with his only points victory being a unanimous decision over Germany's Vincenzo Anzalone.
As October approaches, Kyakonye will be aiming not only to preserve his unbeaten record but also to strengthen his growing reputation as one of Africa's most dangerous heavyweight boxers on the global stage.