Uganda and the 1970 Dual Boxing Match-Up With the Soviet Union
On December 12th 1970, a global twin boxing match between the Soviet Union and Uganda, was held in Kampala. Uganda had develop into a longtime boxing powerhouse by notably rising because the main Commonwealth of Nations’ boxing nation. The Commonwealth Video games had been held in July. Uganda’s boxing gold medal wins have been courtesy of James Odwori, Mohamed Muruli, and Benson Masanda and the others have been silver medals gained by Deogratias Musoke and 1968 Olympic bronze medallist Leo Rwabwogo.
The inhabitants of the Soviet Union in 1970 was roughly 240 million and Soviet newbie boxers have been rated as among the many finest on the earth. The twin boxing match-up was intriguing given Uganda’s latest boxing victory on the Commonwealth Video games; and the rising custom of boxing within the two nations. The Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics was a superpower, whereas third world nation Uganda had a scanty inhabitants of roughly 10 million.
The primary bout was that of light-flyweight James Odwori who had lately gained the Commonwealth Video games’ title, towards Russian Anatoli Semenov. Odwori is rated as some of the skillful and most enjoyable of Uganda’s boxers. He gained many medals and would symbolize Uganda on the 1972 Olympic Video games in Munich the place he was positioned fifth. This time on the Kampala event, Semenov was awarded the victory by factors. Semenov had represented the Soviet Union on the European Newbie Boxing Championships held in Bucharest in 1969, however had been crushed by factors by Roman Rozek of Poland.
Uganda’s flyweight contender Leo Rwabwogo had gained a Commonwealth Video games silver medal in July, and he had gained a bronze medal on the Olympic Video games of 1968 in Mexico Metropolis. He would additionally win a silver medal on the forthcoming Olympics in Munich. His haul of prestigious worldwide medals is spectacular, and he was among the best of Uganda’s boxers in the course of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. At this event in Kampala, sturdy and robust Rwabwogo disposed of P. Ershov of the Soviet Union by a knockout within the first spherical. Ershov had participated in an Worldwide pleasant, the Leningrad Match, in November 1969. He was crushed by factors, by fellow Soviet Yuriy Fedorov, within the quarter-finals’ spherical.
Uganda’s bantamweight Eridadi Mukwanga grew to become Uganda’s first Olympic silver medallist in the course of the venue Mexico Metropolis in 1968. Sadly, Mukwanga was crushed by factors within the very first preliminary spherical on the latest Commonwealth Video games in Edinburgh. This time in Kampala, Mukwanga was once more disappointing. He misplaced to Nikolay Novikov of the Soviet Union, by factors. Novikov was positioned fifth on the Olympics in Mexico Metropolis as a flyweight. Different deserves embody a silver medal on the European Boxing Championships in 1969, and the Merited Grasp of Sports activities of the us award.
Soviet featherweight Valerian Sergeyevich Sokolov was set to problem Uganda’s Deogratias Musoke. Curiously it’s Sokolov who, as a bantamweight, had gained the gold medal on the 1968 Olympics by knocking out beforehand talked about Eridadi Mukwanga within the second spherical. On this Kampala event, Sokolov once more established himself as a knockout artist by stopping Musoke within the first spherical. On the Commonwealth Video games in July, Musoke had settled for the featherweight silver medal after being outpointed within the last by Kenyan boxing legend Philip Waruinge. On the summer season Olympics in 1972, Waruinge can be awarded the silver and the gold to Boris Kuznetsov of the Soviet Union by factors. Waruinge felt that he had been robbed. In the identical Olympic featherweight bouts, Deogratias Musoke was disappointedly positioned 17th after turning into defeated within the second spherical. The featherweight boxing rivals numbered forty-five. As for Valerian Sokolov, he’s credited for successful 196 boxing fights out of the 216 newbie bouts during which he contested. In 1968 Sokolov was bestowed on the Honored Grasp of Sports activities of the us and the Order of the Badge of Honor in 1969. Combating as a featherweight, Sokolov was positioned fifth on the European Boxing Championships in June 1971.
Boris Georgievich Kuznetsov, who would in 1972 win the featherweight Olympic gold, was right here in Kampala scheduled to struggle Ugandan Peter Odhiambo. This may be a light-weight bout. Odhiambo impressively outpointed Kuznetsov, avenging Uganda’s earlier two losses. Odhiambo would transfer on to win the light-weight gold medal on the African Newbie Boxing Championships of June 1972, in Nairobi. Boris Kuznetsov is thought to be among the best and well-known Soviet fighters. In February 1972, in a pleasant with the USA, Kuznetsov gained in his bout by stopping Robert Vascocu within the second spherical. In 1974, on the inaugural World Newbie Boxing Championships in Havana, Kuznetsov gained a silver medal. Kuznetsov was awarded each the Honored Grasp of Sports activities of the us and the Order of the Badge of Honor in 1972.
Mohamed Muruli of Uganda gained the light-welterweight gold medal on the Commonwealth Video games in June. On this Kampala event, in the identical weight class, he can be pitted towards Alexander Zaytsev of the Soviet Union. Within the second spherical Muruli was disqualified. Nonetheless, Muruli stays one among Uganda’s most famed newbie boxers. In 1974 in Christchurch, Muruli gained Uganda one other gold medal. His file as the one Ugandan to have ever win a couple of Commonwealth Video games’ boxing gold medal, stays intact.
Tall 22 year-old welterweight Andrew Kajjo had represented Uganda on the Olympic Video games of 1968 and the latest Commonwealth Video games, however didn’t win any medals in both video games. This time in Kampala, Kajjo ably technically knocked out Soviet welterweight Alexander Ovechkin within the second spherical. Uganda’s hopes of turning into the general winner, have been raised.
Within the light-middleweight bout, Uganda’s Abdalla beat the Soviet Vladmir Yakshilov, by points–making it the primary time within the event that Uganda registered two consecutive wins. Vladmir Yakshilov represented the Soviet Union on the Leningrad Match in November 1969. At this worldwide invitational, Yakshilov was eradicated within the semi-finals. In December 1969 in Kiev, Yakshilov participated within the Soviet Workforce Championships. He gained within the Russia vs. Belarus twin and. the Russia vs. Kazakhstan twin. He misplaced within the Russia vs. Ukraine bouts.
Matthias Ouma was amongst Uganda’s distinguished fighters in the course of the 1960’s and early 1970’s. In 1965 he gained a silver medal on the 1965 All-Africa Video games in Brazzaville, a bronze medal on the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Video games in Kingston, a gold medal win on the 1968 Africa Boxing Championships in Lusaka, and later a silver medal on the 1972 All-Africa Boxing Championships held in Nairobi, a silver on the 1973 All-Africa Video games in Lagos. Ouma represented Uganda at each the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, however didn’t right here win any medals. On this 1970 event in Kampala, Ouma as a light-heavyweight, was crushed by a factors margin by Yuri Nesterov. Nonetheless, Ouma remains to be ranked excessive as among the best of Uganda’s middle- and light-heavyweight boxers. Yuri Nesterov was a dreaded Soviet boxer, and is maybe most remembered for being crushed by American Duane Bobick in the course of the twin of February 1972, and crushed by the identical Bobick within the boxing preliminaries in September 1972 in Munich. In one other twin in January 1973, heavyweight Nesterov was knocked out American Nick Wells.
Ugandan heavyweight Benson Masanda, had simply gained the Commonwealth boxing crown amidst a restricted variety of heavyweight boxers on the Video games. This time in December in Kampala, Soviet Vladimir Chernyshev out-powered Masanda, technically knocking him out within the second spherical. Masanda nonetheless maintains his file as having been some of the distinguished of Ugandan boxing heavyweights. Others of his accolades embody a gold medal on the 1972 Africa Boxing Championships held in Nairobi, and a bronze medal on the 1974 Commonwealth Video games in Christchurch. In June 1971 in Madrid, Chernyshev gained the heavyweight title on the European Newbie Championships. Chernyshev represented the Soviet Union in a twin with USA in February 1972, and was knocked out by Duane Bobick.
Boxers in มวยโลก of the previous USSR are nonetheless thought-about among the many finest on the earth. In Kampala, the most effective of Soviet newbie boxers have been pitted towards Uganda’s finest boxers. The consequence was 6-Four in favor of the Soviet Union. Towards such a huge superpower and distinguished boxing nation, Uganda’s Third World boxers had proved that they have been certainly a formidable drive in worldwide newbie boxing.