Bakary Samake Shines With Eighth Round Knockout
Bakary Samake delivered a spectacular performance on April 18 2025 at the La Défense Arena in Paris France successfully defending his WBC Silver super welterweight title with an eighth-round knockout victory over South Africa’s Roarke Knapp. The fight was part of a unique event that combined boxing with live music featuring a concert by rapper Gazo and drew an impressive crowd of 35000 spectators.
Samake entered the ring with an unblemished record of 18 wins including 10 knockouts and was making his first defense of the WBC Silver title which he captured in November 2024 by defeating Australian Wade Ryan. Knapp a seasoned fighter with a record of 17 wins 3 losses and 1 draw was determined to dethrone the French champion.
The fight began with Knapp setting a fast pace landing clean shots and pressuring Samake in the early rounds. However Samake remained composed conserving his energy and gradually finding his rhythm. By the middle rounds Samake’s superior technique and power began to shine as he landed precise combinations that visibly slowed Knapp.
The decisive moment came in the eighth round when Samake unleashed a devastating left hook to Knapp’s liver followed by another left hook to the head sending the South African to the canvas. Knapp was unable to beat the count and the referee waved off the fight awarding Samake a knockout victory.
This win not only retained Samake’s WBC Silver title but also solidified his position as a rising star in the junior middleweight division. At just 21 years old Samake is ranked in the top eight globally by the WBC and is poised for a potential world title opportunity in the near future.
Sources: BoxingScene, BoxeMag, WBC Boxing.
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Tags: Boxing, Combat Sports
