Big "O" Omotoso dominates Augustus
Coming into the biggest fight of his career, if there was ever any doubt about the ability of Oyewale Omotoso (14-0, 12 KO's)... surely they no longer exist as he pounded out a ninth round stoppage over extremely durable and evasive journeyman Emanuel "Drunken Master" Augustus (38-31-6, 20 KO's). The fight was set to be the biggest text of Omotoso's career and he passed it with flying colours, although it was not without a brief struggle.
On paper the thirty-loss record of Augustus would give the impression that he would be the easiest test of Omotoso's career, however anybody who's anybody in boxing would know how good the competition Augustus has faced over his fifteen year career. Augustus had fought more than ten world champions and had only been stopped three times in his thirty losses, two of those were world champions and one of them was former pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. Although it took Mayweather nine rounds to put away Augustus, it was almost ten years ago.
When the bell rang to open proceedings, both fighters looked supremely confident but very cautious of their opponent's skill. Omotoso let off one lightening fast jab which to the surprise of the crowd Augustus ducked with supreme ease, Omotoso then let off two jabs which were also evaded. This gave both the crowd and Omotoso a quick impression that the Augustus that they were watching still had the skills that made him an internet phenom many years ago. Omotoso then let off a six punch combination which failed to even touch Augustus, this was the moment when the Nigerian import realised that he was in for a fight... and that's exactly what the crowd got.
Although the points for the first two rounds were debatable, it was clear from then onwards who was going to take control and eventually win the contest between the two world-class fighters. Augustus fast reflexes were slowly beginning to make way for Omotoso's even quicker hands. By the end of the fourth, the action was still relatively close... but Augustus' face wasn't telling the same story as it was beginning to look battered.
Omotoso landed a massive right hand in the fifth which severely wobbled Augustus and only divine intervention with a little bit of tricky footwork from the American kept him from hitting the canvas, not that referee Chris Anderson cared... applying an unfair eight-count on the visitor. Augustus jumped straight back into the fight and made it out of the round comfortably.
From there onwards it was all Omotoso who dominated Augustus with an unbelievable kit of punches and floored the veteran again in the sixth round. Referee Chris Anderson waved off the fight without counting after Augustus hit the canvas again in the ninth round.
For me this fight showed me two things; how much potential Oyewale Omotoso has and also how tough of a tough fighter Samuel Colomban is, who went ten rounds with Omotoso in August of last year after suffering two second round knockdowns and still fought on with a damaged eye-socket and cheek bone.