Nigerian-American boxer Emeka Nwokolo successfully defended his WBA North American Boxing Association super welterweight title with a devastating second-round knockout victory over British-Polish boxer Nathan McIntosh on Saturday night at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The impressive performance marked Nwokolo’s seventh consecutive victory, further cementing his status as one of the division’s most formidable champions with his professional record now standing at 14 wins, one loss, with 12 of those victories coming by knockout.
“During the face off my opponent was challenging me in a disrespectful way saying he was going to take my belt. This really fired me up and brought out my warrior spirit which was on full display last night during the match,” Nwokolo said.
“I never let up on the pressure and he couldn’t handle my power but in the true spirit of boxing, he came to me in the ring after the KO and apologized saying he had never felt such power in the ring.”
The 31-year-old Los Angeles-based fighter had expressed confidence ahead of the bout, which headlined the Down & Dirty Boxing XVI Spring Break Edition event.
“I have done everything on my part, now it is get into the ring and do the business,” he had said on the eve of the fight.
Nwokolo, son of Nigerian boxing legend Charles Neokolo, entered Saturday’s contest after recovering from a hand injury that had temporarily sidelined him earlier this year. The injury concerns proved unfounded as he displayed his full power in the emphatic victory.
The win continues Nwokolo’s impressive championship run after he captured both the WBA NABA super welterweight and UBO world super welterweight belts in June 2024 by defeating Colombia’s Jeovanis Barraza.
That fight, which headlined the “Down & Dirty 10” event, saw Nwokolo score a comprehensive win with judges’ scores of 120-108, 120-108, and 118-110.
The reigning Universal Boxing Organisation Boxer of The Year took to social media after his latest triumph, expressing gratitude to his supporters.
“I am humble and grateful and feel blessed beyond words. This win is for everyone who’s been on this journey with me — the ups, the downs, the grind. Thank you for believing in me. We keep building,” he wrote.
According to Michael Reyes, founder of Reyes Boxing Inc., Nwokolo could now be heading for a big showdown with his belt on the line at another Down & Dirty event scheduled for September or October.
During a visit to Nigeria in 2024, the US-based fighter donated boxing kits to young pugilists in Lagos and had expressed interest in fighting in his homeland.
“I think by next year (2025), by the grace of God, I’ll have a fight coming up in Nigeria. I am going to fight in Lagos or in my hometown, where my dad comes from, in Anambra,” Nwokolo had said during a press briefing at the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control office in Lagos.
