Ivan Redkach vs. Yakubu Amidu: Winner, Analysis and Reaction

The top boxers in the lightweight ranks appear to have a daring new challenger to contend with in the powerful Ivan Redkach, who remains undefeated after a convincing knockout win over journeyman Yakubu Amidu on Friday night at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California.

Redkach (18-0, 14 KOs) knocked Amidu (21-6-2, 19 KOs) down twice in the sixth round in stunning fashion. Amidu would finish out the round, but was unwilling to go another frame with his powerful opponent and called it quits from the stool.

This result was likely exactly what Redkach had in mind when he laid out his plans for 2015, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.

“This is my year. This is the year I’m going to break out and earn that title shot,” Redkach said prior to the bout."

A bold statement, to be sure, but Redkach's reputation isn't in question after Friday night. He also correctly predicted his route to victory.

"I am going to try to knock [Amidu] out so I can get closer to a championship fight in 2015,” he said, per Rafael. “No matter what, we are both very strong fighters and I don’t think it will go 10 rounds.”

Redkach gained control of the fight from the opening bell and hardly let up in the ensuing 18 minutes of action. Friday night featured a crowded slate of boxing on television, and this was the bout UCNLive.com's Steve Kim was looking forward to the most:

The bout was definitely lopsided, but in terms of action and pace, it did not disappoint.

Redkach used his superior speed and power to put pressure on Amidu through the first three rounds. The 28-year-old southpaw worked his angles well early on, and Amidu seemed willing to fight inside, but struggled to open up and throw combinations.

Showtime Sports noted Redkach was outworking Amidu early:

Amidu didn't move around the ring much or force Redkach to defend early on, a baffling strategy as he refused to let his hands go. He appeared content to load up with his heavy hands and parcel out the blows, rather than throw everything together at once.

This allowed Redkach to win the majority of the early exchanges and keep the fight in the center of the ring. He didn't need to walk down Amidu and had plenty of time to line up his combinations. He recorded a particularly excellent string of blows midway through the fourth, battering Amidu's head in a devastating four-punch combo that brought a rare chorus of cheers from the sparse Morongo crowd.

Showtime Sports has the highlights from the entertaining round:

Amidu drew the referee's ire with a low-blow early on in the fifth round, a rather disappointing development considering he had finally increased the pace and stemmed the tide of blows coming from Redkach. 

The Ghanian-born Amidu didn't heed the ref's warning and lost a point toward the end of the fifth after a second low blow. Redkach, to his credit, retaliated with a furious flurry of punches to end the round.

The sixth-round was disastrous for Amidu. Redkach rocked Amidu a minute into the round with a stone-handed right straight to the jaw, which immediately sent the 30-year-old journeyman to the canvas. Showtime Sports provided a look at the mayhem:

Amidu, still clearly dazed after an eight count, had nothing left. Redkach came right back and forced his wobbly opponent into the ropes, unloading with a wild barrage of punches, capped by a vicious right hook, that sent Amidu right back to the canvas.

Somewhat surprisingly, the referee didn't stop the fight, and Amidu mitigated the suffering to close out the round, per Kim:

Amidu would rightly call it quits during the brief intermission, handing Redkach a well-deserved knockout victory.

RingTV.com's Douglass Fischer noted Redkach benefited from good training during the bout:

Redkach must work quickly to take advantage of his obvious talent. He's already closing in on 30 years of age and needs to ensure that his next few bouts feature opponents of steadily increasing quality. He has the talent and drive to make good on his gifts in the squared circle; all he needs is the right opportunity.

As for Amidu, his career is in a major slump that will be difficult to overcome. He's 1-4-1 in his last six bouts and fought just one opponent in 2014. The lack of action will make it difficult to schedule beatable opponents, and he could finish out his career as cannon fodder for ascendant pros like Redkach if he isn't careful.