Canarsie-born Sadam “World Kid” Ali took home the World Boxing Union’s welterweight title on Saturday after hammering home an eighth-round knockout punch against Franklin Gonzalez as a standing-room-only crowd chanted his name.
But the 2008 Olympian acted more like an entertainer than a boxer during the bout at Aviator Sports and Events Center. Ali had a grin on his face throughout the title card fight hosted by his World Kid Productions, frustrating Gonzalez right up until the knockout punch two minutes and 22 seconds into the eighth round.
Ali said that the thunderous combination that left Gonzalez sprawled out on the canvas was for the fans.
“I wanted to get the knockout so bad for them,” he said. “It was a fitting end to a great night.”
But Ali was expected to beat Gonzalez, who has more than 10 years on the 23-year-old welterweight and whose record of 15 wins, ten knockouts, and nine loses before Saturday paled in comparison to World Kid’s 14 wins, eight knockouts, and zero loses.