Archie Sharp Barely Worked Up a Sweat Against the Outclassed Alexis Kabore
World-ranked 130-pounder Archie “Sharpshooter” Sharp believes he’s on the cusp of something big. As a result, he must keep his eye on the ball as he faces Alexis “YoYo” Boureima Kabore at the York Hall in Bethnal, England in a ten-round junior lightweight contest.
Ranked second by the WBO at 130 pounds, Sharp came to prominence after defeating Lee Stockwood in October 0f 2018. That was followed by a very fruitful 2019 as he fought four times, all resulting in wins. The 30-year-old from Kent, England has been largely inactive since. He fought only once in 2020. His only fight in 2021 was a ten-round win over Diego Andrade Chavez in July of 2021.
He now faces a Kabore who, to be honest, comes in with some eye-opening question marks. The 38-year-old from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso has a resume that is not very strong. He’s only 3-3 in his last six fights. The most notable opponent is a defeat to former WBC world junior featherweight champion Rey Vargas. That fight took place back in 2016 at bantamweight. Kabore has fought most of his career as a bantamweight and junior featherweight.
WAY TOO EASY
Sharp (21-0, 9 KOs) was the faster and technically superior fighter. He used those advantages to gain an early advantage and never fully let up. The difference in overall ability was evident as Kabore (28-5, 7 KOs) could not cope with the speed and switch-hitting tactics from the Brit.
The confidence was evident from Sharp, who was relaxed, smiled, and looked to be playing with his opponent. As a result, the action became tedious. Kabore is tough and kept marching forward, but he showed nothing to suggest he could turn things around.
All three judges ruled 100-90 in favor of Sharp. To call it a one-sided contest would be polite. This was little more than a glorified sparring session. After the fight, Sharp said he wants the big fights in 2022 and has his sights set on a match with the newly-crowned WBO junior lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
