Lovemore Ndou Impressive In Victory Over Damien Fuller!

by Tony Nobbs

07.04 - IBF Pan Pacific Lt. Welterweight Champion Lovemore "Panther" Ndou (33-5-2, 20 KO) kept the door open for some lucrative fights in the talent laden division with a unanimous points victory over capable Detroit southpaw Damien Fuller (21-3, 10 KO) at the Silver Star Resort and Casino in Choctow, Mississippi on Saturday night, televised next evening on Foxsport Net and promoted by Goosen - Tutor.

A nasty head clash late in the eighth stanza of an entertaining bout caused a deep cut over Ndou's right eye and the fight was stopped by referee Frank Santori late in the round with Fuller trying to make the most of his brief opurtunity.

Coming into the ring rated number 13 by the IBF, 31 year old South African born Ndou, rated as high as number two by the WBC at 135 lb in 2000, scored knockdowns in the first and second rounds and was in control throughout, with Fuller having his best rounds in four, five and six. The first round was excellent with Fuller going down from a set of punches beginning with a right to the top of the head, then a left hook and a follow up. Fuller came back late and forced Lovemore to hold with a right hook.

The pace slackened somewhat in the round two but the stronger Ndou kept stalking and a counter lead right hand straight over the top sent the USBA number 15 to the canvas on his backside. Ndou looked to finish, obviously not wanting a repeat of his most recent U.S outing, a controversial points loss over eight rounds to Steve Quinnones in California on November 3. In that fight, Ndou scored a knockdown in the first and felt he had the measure of Quinones, who has since won the NABF Lightweight Title.

He landed cleanly on Fuller and came close to registering a knockdown as it appeared Fuller's gloves touched the canvas while he was dipping down under pressure.

The third was a quieter round but Fuller was in some trouble in the last minute. Fuller boxed well in round four and it was only a late burst that gave the round to Ndou.

The next three rounds were close, with Ndou outlanding and mostly forcing Fuller around, turning southpaw himself in the sixth landing with solid right leads.

Ndou pressured from the start of round eight and it looked like it may be the final round with Fuller in bother. The heads came close on a few occasions in this round with both looking to sit down on some shots. When they did come together, it was with a crack and Ndou's Australian manager Stuart Duncan told Eastside his boxer will be out until at least June.

With a cut fully healing at one percent a day, it may be longer.

Official scorecards read: 69-62, 69-63 and 68-63.

Foxsport commentator Rich Marrotta mentioned at the start of the scheduled ten rounder that Ndou looked a "Man on a Mission". He was!

Before the fight, he had called out Undisputed Champion and former sparring partner Kostya Tszyu and English sensation, WBU Champion Ricky Hatton. He clearly wants a shot at a genuine top contender or champion and with his connections to promoter Dan Goosen and his regional IBF Belt he could position himself into a meaningful oppurtunity.

There was talk during the broadcast of a bout with Mickey Ward, but it is a bout with Tszyu, that the Panther was talking up in post fight interview.

On the stoppage: "Believe it or not, this is first time I've been cut in a boxing ring. The scar on my face caused in a car crash. He gave me a tough fight, got to expect head clashes when you fight a southpaw. Early I just caught him with a right punch at the right time, he came back well"

There was drama at the weigh in when Ndou was forced to drop a pound by Fuller's camp. Officially, Ndou finaly made 140 lb, Fuller weighing 139 lb. "(At the weigh - in) his whole camp made me mad, making me take off the weight. In boxing, all the time, we have a pound give or take". It must be noted Steve Quinnones weighed in over the contracted limit for his fight with Ndou, but Lovemore did not make the Californian drop down. "I feel strong at 140 pounds, at 135, for the Quinnones fight, I was weak.I was taking my time tonight, wanting to take him into the ninth, tenth round and take him out"

As for the future? "I need Kostya Tszyu. When he (South African)fought Jan Bergman I was his main sparing partner. It is the fight Australia wants".

This was Sydney based Ndou's first fight with new trainer Roy Alexander who had Melbourne's Dave Hedgecock assisting.