Nigerian-born Efe Ajagba Drops, Stops Michael Wallisch in Two Rounds

By Keith Idec

Nigerian-born Efe Ajagba didn’t waste any time getting rid of Michael Wallisch on Saturday night.

The heavyweight knockout artist continuously hammered Wallisch with thudding shots in their brief bout. Referee Tony Weeks had seen enough after 4 ½ minutes and stopped their scheduled 10-rounder at 1:40 of the second round on the Robert Easter Jr.-Rances Barthelemy undercard.

Showtime televised the promising prospect’s most recent win as part of a tripleheader from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan.

The 6-feet-5, 241-pound Ajagba, a 2016 Olympian from Nigeria, improved to 10-0 and recorded his ninth knockout.

Ajagba, 25, has knocked out each of his pro opponents, except Curtis Harper. Eight months ago, Harper infamously fled the ring right after the opening bell for his fight against Ajagba sounded in Minneapolis.

The 6-feet-5, 242½-pound Wallisch (19-2, 12 KOs), of Munich, Germany, lost by knockout in a second straight fight. Germany’s Christian Hammer (24-6, 14 KOs) previously knocked him out in the fifth round of their December 15 bout in Hamburg.

Ajagba buzzed Wallisch with a left hook early in the second round and dropped him several seconds later, after landing a hard right hand. Ajagba then hit Wallisch with a flush right hand while Wallisch was on one knee.

Weeks gave Wallisch time to recuperate because Ajagba fouled him.

Once Wallisch was ready to fight again, Ajagba resumed his assault. He landed enough hard rights and lefts that Weeks stepped in to stop the action at 1:40 of the second round.

Wallisch was still on his feet when the bout was stopped, with his back against the ropes. He protested Weeks’ stoppage, despite that a TKO defeat seemed inevitable.

Wallisch went on the attack in the first round, when he tried to back up Ajagba with right hands. Wallisch had difficulty splitting Ajagba’s guard and hitting him clean.

Before long, Wallisch had taken some hard shots and had a nick above his left eye.