• Boxing

Knockouts and comebacks define WBO Africa title fights

• 1 Day Ago 10 November 2025

The WBO Africa Titles Redemption boxing event lived up to its billing at the Windhoek Country Club on Saturday night, delivering a thrilling evening of action, emotion, and championship glory.

In the main event, Mateus “The Beast” Heita produced a dominant performance to claim the WBO Africa featherweight title, stopping Benin’s Clement Loko after2 minutes and 28 seconds of the fourth round.

Heita showcased his trademark aggression, precision, and power to overwhelm Loko and reclaim the belt in emphatic style.

The Namibian now boasts an impressive professional record of 15 wins and just 1 loss (on points, to Bruce Carrington of the USA, last July), while the West African’s record stands at 12 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw, both of his defeats coming by knockout.

Speaking after the fight Heita said: “This one was a comeback. I already knew I would take this guy out. I didn’t expect him to reach the sixth round, because he is not on my level.”



Worth the wait

In another explosive title clash, Paulinus “John John” Ndjolonimus finally got the chance to face Snamiso Ntuli of South Africa after their initial fight had to be postponed.

The two were originally set to meet in April this year, but the bout was called off when Ndjolonimus withdrew due to illness.

On Saturday night, the long-awaited showdown lived up to expectations as Ndjolonimus captured the WBO Africa super middleweight title with a tenth-round TKO victory. The Namibian delivered a powerful and disciplined performance, breaking down Ntuli with precision and patience before the referee stepped in to stop the contest.

The win improves Ndjolonimus’ professional record to 21 fights with only one loss, while Ntuli drops to 15 fights, 9 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw.



Fight cancelled

Unfortunately, Harry Simon Junior was forced to sit out from his scheduled international welterweight bout against Jeremiah Mhere, after the Zimbabwean’s pre-fight medical examination revealed dangerously high blood pressure levels.

Despite the setback, the unbeaten Namibian (23-0-1; 16 KOs) vowed to remain on course for his goal of earning world recognition.



New national champion

In the Namibian national heavyweight title bout, Naftalie Sheyapo stunned veteran Vikapita “The Beast Master” Meroro, earning a hard-fought victory after ten gruelling rounds.

Meroro, who entered the ring with a wealth of experience from 49 professional fights that included African titles and shots at the world level, used his ring craft to test the younger contender.

However, Sheyapo’s youth, fitness, and hunger for success – not to mention a bigger and more muscular frame – ultimately proved decisive as he knocked Meroro down in one of the earlier rounds.

The victory extends Sheyapo’s unbeaten record to three wins in three fights, while Meroro now stands at 30 wins and 20 losses.

• Earlier in the evening, Elias Moongela defeated Phillipus Mateus after four rounds, Erastus Shapaka earned a unanimous decision victory over Simon Festus, and Joy Nangolo delivered a spectacular first-round knockout against Fabian Lameck.

Promoter Nestor Tobias hailed the event as one of the best nights for Namibian boxing in recent memory.

“We worked very hard for this, training day and night. Today it all paid off. John John’s fight against Ntuli will be a contender for the fight of the year in Africa, and Heita bounced back from his recent loss in America.

“These boys are already qualified for the world title, but we’ll push until they’re ranked higher and become the mandatory challenger for the world title,” Tobias said.

The night cemented Namibia’s growing reputation as a powerhouse of African boxing, with a new generation of fighters ready to carry the nation’s proud legacy forward.