Nigerian heavyweight boxer Efe Ajagba claimed a split decision victory against fellow Olympian and longtime sparring partner Guido Vianello of Italy at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, yesterday. Ajagba is now unbeaten in his last five bouts.
Judges scored it 96-94 (twice) for Ajagba and 94-96 for Vianello.
The 29-year-old controlled the middle of the bout but had to be at his best to stop Vianello from taking the initiative in the closing rounds.
Ajagba improved his record to 20 wins (14 knockouts) and one defeat.
The Delta State-born boxer won the gold medal at the 2015 African Games and bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games during his amateur days.
They performed admirably, with Ajagba responding to win the middle rounds and Vianello getting off to a strong start.
In terms of total punch count, Ajagba prevailed over Vianello, largely through his jab, while Vianello prevailed through power blows.
