‘Mpendo robbed of win’

By James Bakama UGANDAN prize fighter Paul Mpendo on Saturday left the ring cursing after a controversial draw with an American Andrew Poulos. Mpendo, like most spectators who watched the welterweight fight in Washington’s Lucky Eagle Casino, felt cheated. “There was lots of disappointment,” complained Mpendo’s trainer Fred Ryan, adding that “many people thought Paul won.” Mpendo, now 4-1-2 (3kos), looked on in disbelief as the judges put the welterweight result at a majority draw. Two of the judges scored the fight 38-all, while one had it at 40-38 for Mpendo. Mpendo returns to the ring next month at the Seven Feathers Casino in Oregon against an opponent yet to be named. Saturday provided Mpendo with his second disappointment in a month. What would have been his debut on US television failed to materialise after his opponent Ulysses Caballero was disqualified on medical grounds. Uganda was nevertheless consoled the same day by Florida-based Kassim “The Dream” Ouma, who won the vacant International Boxing Association Intercontinental (IBA-I) middleweight title after a unanimous points win over former WBO champion Verno Phillips. Mpendo and Ouma are part of a list of Ugandans out to emulate former world champions Boza Edwards, Ayoub Kalule and John “The Beast” Mugabi. ends