In a do-or-die crossroads bout, Sena Agbeko stepped up when it mattered most.
Agbeko (27-2, 21 KOs) came in as the underdog B-side to the previously unbeaten Isaiah Steen (16-1, 12 KOs) on Friday’s “ShoBox: The New Generation” main event on SHOWTIME. But after 10 rounds, Agbeko’s aggression, power punches and countershots were favored by all three judges, who awarded him the unanimous decision by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94.
It’s a huge win for the 30-year-old Agbeko, a Ghanaian-born fighter who now fights out of Tennessee and took this fight on less than two weeks’ notice.
“Steen is the first undefeated fighter that I’ve beaten,” Agbeko told BoxingScene.com. “I’ve been working really hard, just staying behind the scenes and looking for the stage to prove that I’m world championship material. I got this fight on short notice, but like I said, I’ve always been training hard. I’ve been doing this since I started boxing 11 years ago in Ghana.
“So, to get this opportunity, to be able to show up and get it done, I’m very happy. I’m just happy that I’ve gotten some vindication for all the hard work that I’ve put in behind the scenes. I’m very excited to be in this spot and I’m excited for what’s ahead in the future.”
It was a hotly contested battle where Steen got off to a strong start, working behind the jab. However, his offense offered little else other than that jab. Agbeko got going in the third round, patiently stalking his foe and landing when countering opportunities arose. A hard right to the ribs backed Steen up midway through the frame.
Agbeko continued to be the aggressor, landing more power shots, both to the head and body. With the fight still up for grabs over the final three rounds, it was Agbeko who stepped on the gas. A hard right hand in the eighth snapped Steen’s head back and was the best punch of the round.
Agbeko continued his aggression in the ninth, pinning Steen against the ropes and landing quick, scoring shots. Agbeko won the tenth and final round decisively, throwing and landing more.
However, the fight’s outcome was uncertain as both fighters believed they had done enough to win the fight. That was not the case as Agbeko, who had previously fought on ShoBox in February 2021 and lost a unanimous decision, earned a career-best win that could catapult him to big fights in the super middleweight division.
