Boxing News Boxing News
On Thursday night at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, RI, super middleweight Sakio Bika finished off local hero Peter Manfredo in three rounds to win the vacant IBO and interim NABF crowns.
From the start, Bika had “The Pride of Providence” on the defensive as the Australian based Cameroon native found a home for his fast, wide and hard punches.
Manfredo began to get the timing of Bika’s shots in the second and avoided the punishment of the first round but wasn’t able to work an offense into the mix.
Bika stepped on the gas in the third and caught Manfredo with a full-blooded right hand that hurt the Providence native, who couldn’t adequately defend himself from Bika’s follow-up assault and the bout was stopped at 1:50 of the round.
Bika wins his fifth straight, improving to 27-3-2 (17), while Manfredo drops to 31-6 (16).
In an IBO Light Middle title eliminator, veterans Grady Brewer, 24-11 (13), and Cornelius Bundrage, 28-4 (16), engaged in a lackluster contest that saw Brewer win by split decision.
Light heavyweight Jaidon Codrington, 19-2 (15), stopped William Gill, 8-21 (7), in the closing seconds of the eighth and final round while super feather prospect Matt Remillard, 16-0 (8), outpointed former IBF Light and Super Fly Champion Mauricio Pastrana, 34-10-2 (22), in a six rounder.
