Netherlands-based Ugandan boxer Willy ‘The Ring Tiger’ Kyakonye has reaffirmed his status as one of Uganda’s premier boxing exports after reclaiming the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Heavyweight title with a brutal first-round knockout of Germany’s Renke ‘Drago’ Wittke.
Kyakonye, a former hard-hitting member of Lukanga Boxing Club, Kololo, and the Uganda national boxing team, dispatched Drago in just 2 minutes and 35 seconds of the opening round, sending the packed Theatre Carre Arena in Amsterdam into a frenzy.
Drago, fresh off defending his WBF Intercontinental Heavyweight title, entered the bout with an intimidating record—having knocked out all six of his previous opponents. His German supporters were confident, but their hopes were dashed within minutes as Kyakonye unleashed a sharp jab followed by his signature atomic right hook, sending Drago crashing into the ropes and then to the canvas.
Dutch referee and former Olympian Eric van den Heuvel stepped in to stop the fight, preventing further damage in what was scheduled to be a 12-round contest but ended before the first round could conclude.
Kyakonye’s dominant performance earned him a standing ovation and sparked wild celebrations.
“This is for my fans and family. We made it happen in the most fascinating way—with a knockout,” Kyakonye said. “Congratulations to my management team, my coach Vincent Stikkolorum, and my sponsors Atila Mert, Kyokku Gym, and BoxingBootcamp Nijmegen.”
He added, “Winning this title was tough, but defending it has been even harder. My next goal is to defend it more than seven times and pursue major world titles like the WBC, IBF, WBA, and WBO.”
Kyakonye now becomes the fourth Ugandan boxer to win and successfully defend a world title, joining legends such as Ayub Kalule, John ‘The Beast’ Mugabi, and Cornelius Boza Edwards, who famously defended their WBA and WBC titles in the 1980s.
Other Ugandan champions like Kassim ‘The Dream’ Ouma, Jackson Asiku, and Sulaiman ‘The Ruler’ Segawa won world titles but were unable to defend them in their first attempts.
Kyakonye’s professional record now stands at 12 wins, 0 losses, and 11 knockouts, placing him firmly on the path to global boxing stardom.
Among Uganda’s current boxing exports, USA-based WBC Silver Featherweight Champion Sulaiman Segawa, Kyakonye’s former teammate on the national team, remains the most decorated. Kyakonye, along with David Semujju and Muzamir ‘The Real King Kong’ Kakande, are closely following in his footsteps.