Nyall suffers surprise setback - but it’s a controversial defeat

Nyall Berry…points defeat against African in Coventry on Friday night

AN UPSET on Scott Murray’s huge Sports Connexion bill in Coventry with Nyall Berry beaten in what seemed a routine six rounder.

The big punching English super-bantam champ was outscored 58-57 by Tanzanian Jemsi Kibazange, tall, tricky and fleet-footed.

The consensus at ringside was 26-year-old Berry, who lost for only the second time in 18 bouts, should’ve had his hand raised. There is, however, no argument that the rampaging Chelmsley Wood fighter was well below his best.

Such are the dangers of mark-time bouts while title chances are sought: Berry is seeking significant belts at bantamweight and was within the limit for this one.

Boxers struggle to get “up” for such encounters and can be caught cold. On the plus side, the scrap with Jemsi was not of major significance, the decision controversial and the loss may persuade champs to take a risk against the Eastside gym contender. It’s a mild setback, not a derailment.

Manager Jon Pegg said: “I thought Nyall boxed very poorly, but he won. He made it closer than he should’ve done, but we all had it 4-2 (in rounds).

For Kibazange, a natural super-fly, Friday night’s win is probably the best in a 41 bout career (15 losses, four draws) that began in Africa. Before facing Nyall, he was on a six bout winless streak.

Pegg added: “We get back on the horse. It was an odd one. Nyall tends to box to the level of his opponents – it’s the better, more capable ones he gets out of the way.”

A title opportunity cannot be too far away for super-middle showman Omar Davis, raised in Birmingham, based in Bloxwich.

On the show, he poleaxed Poland’s Tomasz Felsz in two rounds. Felsz – known to local fans for losing fights with River Wilson-Bent and Cliff Henry, was frozen by a right, then decked by a right hand-left hook.

It was a KO in all but name, the ref halting things before the final count. That’s six wins on the spin for Omar who appears to be hitting harder with each outing.

On social media, Davis declared: “I’m changing the game!”