| Name |
Joseph Agbeko |
| Height |
5 ft 6 in |
| Naionality |
Ghanaian |
| Date of Birth |
22-March-1980 |
| Place of Birth |
Accra, Ghana |
| Famous for |
Boxer |
Joseph Agbeko is a Ghanaian professional boxer with a record of 28-2 (22 KO). The Ring Magazine currently rates Agbeko at number three in the bantamweight division. On September 29, 2007, he dethroned Luis Alberto Perez to become the new IBF Bantamweight Champion.
Agbeko was inactive for 1 year, 2 months and 11 days before defending his title on December 11, 2008. In a fight that had been repeatedly postponed, he defeated William Gonzalez by majority decision. On July 11, 2009, Agbeko successfully defended his IBF Bantamweight title by scoring a unanimous decision win over former two division champion Vic Darchinyan. On Halloween night, October 31, 2009, Agbeko lost his IBF title by 12 round unanimous decision to 20-0 Colombian challenger Yonnhy Perez. "King Kong" Agbeko was scheduled to take on Abner Mares in the Bantamweight Tournament Final: Winner Takes All on Saturday, April 23 on Showtime. However, Agbeko pulled out of the fight just days prior citing an injury. The fight has been rescheduled for August 13 in Las Vegas. The fight ensued as scheduled on the 13th. However, the focal point of the fight became referee Russell Mora who repeatedly warned Mares for low blows without taking a point. To Agbeko's credit, despite many blows to the belt and below, he did not retaliate in kind.
Post-fight Jim Gray continued Showtime's lambasting of Mora in an interview where he plainly showed the crucial call that turned the fight. A low blow in the 11th leading to a knockdown. In all there were two knockdowns. The first coming early could have been called a slip but a punch was landed. The second was the result of what was definitely a low blow. It is possible that without the knockdown, Mares would not have won the fight. The scoring read 115-111, 115-111 and 113-113.
