A one-sided challenge in the main event of the card organized yesterday by Mario Loreni in Sequals: Samuel Nmomah (20-0-0, 5 KOs) easily defeated Ukrainian Oleksandr Shytyi (8-2-2, 3 KOs), dominating most of the ten scheduled rounds and thus maintaining his unbeaten record. The fight was for the WBC International Silver middleweight title. These were the official scorecards read at the end of the fight: 100 to 90, 99 to 91, and 98 to 92, all in favor of the winner.
The illusion that the fight could be balanced lasted just three minutes. The first round saw the two boxers move nimbly around the ring, exchanging quick and light punches without either showing clear dominance. However, it was merely a classic feeling-out round, after which Nmomah changed his approach, asserting the greater power of his punches. Shytyi clearly felt at least two right hands during the second round, and from that moment on, he only applied unconvincing pressure, which was handled with ease.
Nmomah, facing an opponent completely lacking the power to trouble him, boxed with great calm and naturalness, winning round after round and showcasing, among other things, an excellent variety of punches. Particularly impressive was the short left uppercut that the Nigerian-born athlete landed on his opponent’s chin several times; equally commendable was his bodywork, executed with regularity and effectiveness.
Shytyi had a moment of pride at the end of the sixth round when he managed to corner the champion for a moment, landing a good right hand and a subsequent combination of punches, but Nmomah retaliated dominantly in the seventh round, one of the toughest of the entire match for the Ukrainian. The champion continued to control the pace at his leisure, giving the impression of accelerating more decisively every time Shytyi dared to become too enterprising, almost as if to dissuade him from any bellicose intentions.
The tenth and final round, in which Nmomah merely circled around without engaging in exchanges due to his clear awareness of being far ahead, ended without any surprises, leaving the decision to the judges. The wide margins in the scores correctly reflect the clear superiority of the home boxer, who, in the opinion of the writer, won the first nine rounds, leaving only the last round to his rival.
Now for Nmomah, who at 27 years old and after 20 professional fights seems to have reached full maturity as an athlete, it might be time to raise the bar. For further quality improvement, a test against a pressure fighter, one capable of developing a high work rate and relentless pressure, would be ideal. Too many Italian boxers, when they reach important appointments, struggle against opponents who force them to work continuously and do not give them the time and space to think and catch their breath. In his recent fights, Nmomah has always been the absolute master of the pace, lowering and raising it at his pleasure and taking breaks between intense phases. Now it’s time to see if his performance will remain excellent when he can no longer afford to take his foot off the gas.