Joseph Agbeko is a professional boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 with a record of 28-2 (22 KO). The Ring Magazine currently rates Agbeko at number three in the bantamweight division.

Professional career

On September 29, 2007, He dethroned Luis Alberto Perez

Luis Alberto Pérez

Luís Alberto Pérez is a lifelong resident of Managua, Nicaragua, where he was born. Luis is a southpaw professional boxer in the super bantamweight division. His record is 25-2 . He is a former IBF world super flyweight and bantamweight champion. His manager, also born & raised in Managua,...

 to become the new IBF

International Boxing Federation

The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...

 Bantamweight

Bantamweight

Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...

 titleholder. 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

Vic Darchinyan

Vakhtang "Vic" Darchinyan is an Armenian professional boxer discovered by HyeFighters. He is a three-division world champion, having won eight titles in three different weight classes. He is a former IBF Flyweight World Champion and a former Undisputed WBA, WBC & IBF Super Flyweight World...

. On Halloween

Halloween

Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...

 night, October 31, 2009, Agbeko lost his IBF title by 12 round unanimous decision to 20-0 Columbian challenger Yonnhy Pérez

Yonnhy Pérez

Yonnhy Pérez , is a professional boxer who resides in Santa Fe Springs, California. He is the former IBF Bantamweight champion. Ring Magazine currently rates Pérez at number seven in the bantamweight division....

.

Perez vs. Agbeko II

On December 11, 2010, Agbeko was given the chance to regain his IBF title when he took on Yonnhy Pérez

Yonnhy Pérez

Yonnhy Pérez , is a professional boxer who resides in Santa Fe Springs, California. He is the former IBF Bantamweight champion. Ring Magazine currently rates Pérez at number seven in the bantamweight division....

 in the semi-finals of the Showtime Bantamweight

Bantamweight

Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight...

 tournament, which was televised live from the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma

Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...

, Washington. Rather than brawling as he had done in his first fight with Pérez, Agbeko chose to use his boxing skills and stiff jab to cruise to a unanimous decision victory, with the judges scoring it 116-112, 117-111 and 115-113. Also on the card was Abner Mares

Abner Mares

Abner Mares Martínez is an undefeated Mexican professional boxer in the Bantamweight division. Abner medaled repeatedly in international amateur tournaments for Mexico. Mares grew up in the city of Hawaiian Gardens, California.-Amateur career:As an amateur, Mares compiled a record of 112-8 with 84...

, who defeated Vic Darchinyan

Vic Darchinyan

Vakhtang "Vic" Darchinyan is an Armenian professional boxer discovered by HyeFighters. He is a three-division world champion, having won eight titles in three different weight classes. He is a former IBF Flyweight World Champion and a former Undisputed WBA, WBC & IBF Super Flyweight World...

 via split-decision to advance to the finals and a showdown with Agbeko.

Agbeko vs. Mares

"King Kong" Agbeko was scheduled to take on Abner Mares

Abner Mares

Abner Mares Martínez is an undefeated Mexican professional boxer in the Bantamweight division. Abner medaled repeatedly in international amateur tournaments for Mexico. Mares grew up in the city of Hawaiian Gardens, California.-Amateur career:As an amateur, Mares compiled a record of 112-8 with 84...

 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.

Professional boxing record

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|28 Wins (22 Knockouts), 3 Defeats, 0 Draws
|- style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;"
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Res.
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Record
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Opponent
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Type
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Rd., Time
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Date
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Location
| style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Notes
|- align=center
|- align=center
|
|
|align=left| Mexico Abner Mares

Abner Mares

Abner Mares Martínez is an undefeated Mexican professional boxer in the Bantamweight division. Abner medaled repeatedly in international amateur tournaments for Mexico. Mares grew up in the city of Hawaiian Gardens, California.-Amateur career:As an amateur, Mares compiled a record of 112-8 with 84...

|
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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Loss
|28-3
|align=left| Mexico Abner Mares

Abner Mares

Abner Mares Martínez is an undefeated Mexican professional boxer in the Bantamweight division. Abner medaled repeatedly in international amateur tournaments for Mexico. Mares grew up in the city of Hawaiian Gardens, California.-Amateur career:As an amateur, Mares compiled a record of 112-8 with 84...

|
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|28-2
|align=left| Colombia Yonnhy Pérez

Yonnhy Pérez

Yonnhy Pérez , is a professional boxer who resides in Santa Fe Springs, California. He is the former IBF Bantamweight champion. Ring Magazine currently rates Pérez at number seven in the bantamweight division....

|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Loss
|27-2
|align=left| Colombia Yonnhy Pérez

Yonnhy Pérez

Yonnhy Pérez , is a professional boxer who resides in Santa Fe Springs, California. He is the former IBF Bantamweight champion. Ring Magazine currently rates Pérez at number seven in the bantamweight division....

|
|
|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|27-1
|align=left| Armenia Vic Darchinyan

Vic Darchinyan

Vakhtang "Vic" Darchinyan is an Armenian professional boxer discovered by HyeFighters. He is a three-division world champion, having won eight titles in three different weight classes. He is a former IBF Flyweight World Champion and a former Undisputed WBA, WBC & IBF Super Flyweight World...

|
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|
|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|26-1
|align=left| Nicaragua William Gonzalez
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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|25-1
|align=left| Nicaragua Luis Alberto Pérez

Luis Alberto Pérez

Luís Alberto Pérez is a lifelong resident of Managua, Nicaragua, where he was born. Luis is a southpaw professional boxer in the super bantamweight division. His record is 25-2 . He is a former IBF world super flyweight and bantamweight champion. His manager, also born & raised in Managua,...

|
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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|24-1
|align=left| United States Fidencio Reyes
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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|23-1
|align=left| Ghana Baba Nsor
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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|22-1
|align=left| Ghana Sumaila Badu
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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Loss
|21-1
|align=left| Ukraine Wladimir Sidorenko

Wladimir Sidorenko

Volodymyr Sydorenko, or Vladimir Sidorenko, is a professional boxer in the bantamweight division. He is the former WBA world bantamweight champion, and twin brother of Valeriy Sydorenko.-Amateur career:...

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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|21-0
|align=left| South Africa Cedric Conway
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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|20-0
|align=left| Benin Charlemagne Agbotomey
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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|19-0
|align=left| Kingdom of Romania Sabin Bornei

Sabin Bornei

Sabin Marius Bornei is a professional boxer from Romania, who won a bronze medal in the light flyweight division at the 1996 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Vejle, Denmark...

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|align=left|
|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|18-0
|align=left| Uganda Michael Kizza
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|align=left|
|- align=center
|Win
|17-0
|align=left| Cameroon Faustin Rostand
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|align=left|
|align=left|

Titles

Honours

In 2010, to honour Joseph's exploits in the sport of boxing the town of Sogakope in the Volta Region of Ghana enstooled him as a warrior chief. His enstoolment name was Togbe Kaletor I, which means 'Brave Warrior'.

External links