Commonwealth Challenges
With a record of 10 wins and 3 defeats Akaba travelled to the UK in May 2008 and took on England's Paul Truscott for the Commonwealth featherweight title in Middlesbrough. Akaba was considered a step up in class for Truscott at the time and ended with a good win for the Englishman over 12 rounds. Akaba bounced back from the defeat when he beat the South African fighter Tshifhiwa Munyai in July 2008 over 8 rounds in Dagenham. Munyai was a highly touted fighter in the UK and had scored some good wins over Martin Power (twice) and Lee Haskins.
In Sept 2008 Kevin Mitchell gave up his Commonwealth super featherweight title and Akaba was drafted in by Frank Warren's Sports Network to contest the vacant title against house fighter Ricky Burns at London's York Hall. The fight ended with a win for Burns over 12 rounds.
Read more about this topic: Osumana Akaba
Famous quotes containing the words commonwealth and/or challenges:
“While the Governor, and the Mayor, and countless officers of the Commonwealth are at large, the champions of liberty are imprisoned.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“A powerful idea communicates some of its strength to him who challenges it.”
—Marcel Proust (1871–1922)