A Bright Start Turns Punishing
Laryea, led into hostile territory by a team including legendary former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan, trainer Carl Lokko and manager Samuel Anim Addo, began the contest well, frustrating Robledo with his movement and landing occasional power punches of his own in the opening rounds.
The tide turned in the third round, when Laryea walked into a right hook and was sent to the canvas for the first time in his career. He recovered, but Robledo continued to grow into the fight, dropping the “expensive boxer” again in the fifth round as the Argentine’s power began to tell over the champion-in-waiting.
Warnings, A Point Deduction, Then Disqualification
Under mounting pressure, Laryea began to foul, and referee intervention followed. He had a point deducted for a low blow before the fight reached its ninth round, where a further low blow prompted the referee to wave off the contest entirely and award the bout to Robledo by disqualification.
It was a deflating end to what had been billed as the biggest test of Laryea’s career, and it leaves the previously unbeaten 17-0-1 fighter to absorb his first professional loss.
Tonight didn’t go the way we hoped, and we sincerely apologise to everyone who stood behind John Laryea and supported him throughout this journey. Every setback is a lesson, not the end of the road. We will take the lessons, work harder, and come back stronger. This is only a chapter. The comeback will be greater.Samuel Anim Addo, Manager
Scenes At Bukom
Back home, fans gathered at Bukom Park to follow the fight on a giant screen, and many struggled to reconcile what they saw with the fighter they know. Laryea has built his reputation on a stubborn, high-output style, and supporters at the venue said his fitness and composure did not look like the Laryea they were used to watching.
Also present in Bukom to follow the broadcast were Hon. Alfred Kotey Ashie and veteran boxing consultant Yoofi Boham, underlining how closely the bout was being watched across Ghana’s boxing community.
A Mixed Night For Ghanaian Boxing
Laryea’s fight was one of three involving Ghanaian boxers on Saturday night. In Atlanta, Emmanuel “Gameboy” Tagoe was pulled from his scheduled WBO International super lightweight fight against unbeaten Ernesto “Tito” Mercado on the Claressa Shields undercard after coming in significantly over the contracted weight limit at Friday’s weigh-in, with Mercado instead rerouted to face a late replacement opponent.