LONDON – Joel “JFK” Kodua, with Tunde Ajayi, former European champion James Cook and light heavyweight contender Anthony Yarde in his corner, scored the first stoppage of his career, halting Welshman Lloyd Germain in three rounds at Wembley Arena.
Cardiff welterweight Germain, now 9-3, looked uncomfortable early on and might have taken a shot to the back of the head that caused him to go down early in round one.
But there was no question about the clean right hand to the point of his chin that dropped him a second time moments later.
Kodua was able to measure his man with a right hand just before the bell, too.
In round three, after 51 seconds, “JFK” Kodua stormed through with straight shots and Germain wilted for a third and final time. A left hook was the final blow.
“I want to keep on going, I want to win titles,” said Kodua.
Well-supported Guildford junior bantamweight, Alfie Clegg, 11-0-1 (2 KOs), delighted his noisy legion of fans with a six-round over Argentine Sebastian Alejandro Castillo, 7-5-1 (3 KOs).
Clegg timed the incoming visitor with a right hand in round one and Clegg followers, of which there was quite a few in Wembley Arena for the just third fight of the evening, chanted as one: “Al-fie, Al-fie.”
Clegg was using the ring, moving left and right, probing for openings with his jab to the head and body, and he picked up a verbal warning in the second when Castillo missed with a wild swing and Clegg looked off into the distance to see where it had landed.
Castillo kept moving forward but Clegg got the better of things when they traded right hands in the third before the action was paused so the Argentine could have his mouthpiece put back in.
Clegg opted to box more in the fourth and Castillo couldn’t match his variety or workrate. Clegg showed off some nice moves in the fifth and sixth, without being able to dent Castillo.
The Argentine showed out from seemingly from being pushed by an open glove during an untidy segment in the sixth and final round and, at times, Clegg put his hands behind his back as Roy Jones did against Glen Kelly, without throwing the right hand the followed to end the fight in the brilliant Jones’ favor.
As Clegg tried to play to his crowd more, it became untidy and Castillo was bundled to the deck and Clegg’s fans were euphoric at the bell, and more so when it was announced he had won 60-54.
Clegg is due out again at York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, on March 8.
Fighting out of Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Emmay “The General” Kalombo, the brother-in-law of heavyweight contender Martin Bakole, took less than a round to make a statement in London.
Mexico’s Sergio Garcia Herrera looked for his left hook early, but Kalombo was clearly a danger with his right hand. Garcia tried to stand and trade through the early and middle part of the first session but Garcia was stronger and hit harder. The Mexican was having a torrid time until a bodyshot sunk him onto his haunches, where he stayed well beyond the 10 count. Time of the stoppage was 2:58 of the first. It had been optimistically set for six.
Middleweight Hassan Azim made his return to the ring and continued his unbeaten start to life in the pros with a comprehensive four-round win over Swindon’s Jensen Irving.
Azim, now 8-0 (4 KOs), broke through with some early right hands. A left hook kept him honest but his rangy strikes had his opponent reddening up in the face in the opening exchanges.
Azim’s head was forced back by a jab in the second but he was in control. Azim, brother of Wembley bill-topper Adam Azim, having his first fight since June 2023, hurt Irving to the body with right hands in the third round and former trainer Shane McGuigan urged Hassan on from ringside in round four but by then it was academic. Azim had done more than enough and won 40-36.
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