Nwokolo Loses First U.S. Fight and a Title Bid

Charles Nwokolo found it easy to assume his late uncle’s name.

Assuming his uncle’s mantle of greatness, however, is another matter, as Nwokolo found out Friday night.

Nwokolo, fighting under the name Young Dick Tiger, lost the first fight of his career at the Universal Sheraton Hotel in Universal City, and along with it, a chance to win his first American title. Nwokolo lost a close but unanimous 12-round decision to Felipe Canela is a sanctioned fight for Canela’s California State welterweight title. Judge Kenny Davis scored the fight 115-113, judge Dick Young scored it 116-112 and referee Rudy Jordan had it 115-114. There were no knockdowns in the fight.

Canela, 146 1/2 pounds, of Colton, lifted his record to 24-5-3 with 16 knockouts. The 147-pound Nwokolo, nephew of the late Dick Tiger, the former world middleweight and light heavyweight champion, dropped to 16-1 with 13 knockouts. Nwokolo came to the United States earlier this year from his native Nigeria, where he reigned as the African welterweight champion.

In a preliminary bout, heavyweight Clinton Barnes, 220, of Los Angeles, boosted his record to 7-2 by winning a unanimous five-round decision over Levi Billips, 224, of San Diego. Earlier, middleweight David Kilgour, 164 1/2, of Los Angeles, knocked out Kola Hevea, 164 1/2, of Samoa, at 1:58 of the second round of their scheduled five-round fight.