By Victor Kanayo
Nigerian-born heavyweight Efe Ajagba on Sunday at the Tahoe Blue Event Center in Stateline, Nevada United States, got the better of his Australian opponent Joe Goodall during the fourth round in their rematch meant to be a 10-round fight.
The victory for Ajagba was mostly a revenge after Goodall had come out winner during the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, Scotland.
Several Draining Blows on Goodall In Seconds
After receiving several unanswered punches, Referee Tony Weeks had to stop their fight 50 seconds into the fourth round.
It was a fight that saw Ajagba improve his record to 19-1 and produce his 14th knockout.
Brisbane’s Goodall (10-2-1, 9 KOs), who was still standing when their fight ended, lost inside the distance for the first time during his five-year pro career.
Earlier, Goodall came into their fight after producing his most noteworthy professional win, a sixth-round stoppage of Stephan Shaw on July 22 at FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Shaw (18-2, 13 KOs) went the distance with Ajagba in his previous fight, a 10-rounder that Ajagba won by unanimous decision on January 14, 2023 in Verona, New York.
Successful WBC Title Defence
Ajagba drilled Goodall with a right hand that wobbled him about 35 seconds into the fourth round.
Sensing that Goodall was ready to go, Ajagba unloaded an array of power punches that made the referee step between them to spare Goodall from taking unnecessary punishment.
Ajagba has now successfully defended his WBC title for the first time as he continues to build his name in the heavyweight division.