Last night in San Salvador, Nigerian heavyweight Kingsley Ibeh scored a pretty impressive third-round KO win over veteran Gerald Washington. 31 year old Ibeh, known as “The Black Lion,” unleashed a huge left hand to the head with around :16 clicks gone in round-three and down went Washington, heavily.
The 43 year old Californian made it back to his feet but the third man waved it off, with some mild complaining by Washington. What was shaping up as a possible slugfest ended in a veritable flash. Ibeh is now 16-2-1(14), while Washington, who really does need to think about calling it a day, falls to 21-7-1(14).
Ibeh’s Power and Momentum Growing Fast
Southpaw Ibeh, a giant of a man at 288 pounds, looked to be in good shape last night, as did the 250 pound Washington to be fair, and the two looked for openings in the first session. Ibeh was the sharper of the two, yet not too much happened in the opening couple of rounds. Then, countering a Washington attack, Ibeh cracked home with his bomb of a left hand to the head and that was all she wrote. Ibeh knelt in a corner and gave thanks for his win.
Beaten only by Jared Anderson and, in his second pro outing, by Waldo Cortes Acosta, Ibeh was also held to a draw by useful Italian heavyweight Guido Vianello, Ibeh has now won 11 fights on the bounce. Maybe Ibeh, who can punch, will go on and land himself a bigger fight.
Washington’s Career Nearing Its Final Chapter
As for Washington, he’s had a good career, during which he met plenty of top names and managed a win or two over some of them, but now seems to be the time for him to retire. Washington – who has fought, amongst others, Eddie Chambers, Deontay Wilder, Jarrell Miller, Adam Kownacki, Robert Helenius, Charles Martin and Derek Chisora – is now 7-3 in his last ten bouts.
Let’s see who Ibeh, a fun to watch fighter, is matched with next.
