- The inaugural SportPesa Boxing Rising Stars 2026 series kicked off on Thursday, January 30, with ten bouts staged in Nairobi, Kenya.
- The card was headlined by two bouts, with Kenya asserting dominance as Javan Buyu and John Juma both secured knockout victories.
- The next SportPesa Boxing Rising Stars event is scheduled for Thursday, February 26.
The inaugural SportPesa Boxing Rising Stars 2026 officially got underway on Thursday, January 30, with 10 bouts staged in Nairobi, Kenya.
This event forms part of nine tournaments established through a SportPesa 40-million-shilling sponsorship deal alongside the Ultra Fight Series (UFS), a partnership aimed at reviving the boxing scene in Kenya.
Thursday’s card featured two headline contests: Kenyan John Juma faced Tanzania’s David Mbumba in an eight-round lightweight/ Welterweight bout, while Javan Buyu took on Tanzania’s Martin Shekivuli in a six-round lightweight clash.
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SportPesa Boxing Rising Stars 2026 debuts in Nairobi
In an unexpected turn, neither main contest lasted long, much to the disappointment of fans who were largely following the action via livestream, as the event was exclusive with limited ringside attendance.
The first main event showcased the first ever Kenyan national boxing champion Buyu against Shekivuli in a non-title lightweight contest scheduled for six rounds.
Lasting only one round, Buyu, who debuted in 2024 and entered on a five-fight unbeaten streak leveraged his experience to command the ring against Shekivuli, a seasoned fighter with a record of 7-10-7, including five KOs.
Shekivuli opened strongly, working his jab effectively and keeping Buyu cautious in the first thirty seconds.
However, his punches lacked precision in a contest expected to reach at least five rounds.
The encounter ended abruptly at one minute and forty seconds when Buyu landed two sharp jabs, knocking the Tanzanian international unconscious and securing a decisive victory.
Speaking after the win, Buyu expressed willingness to defend his lightweight title against any challenger, while admitting the night’s bout fell short of providing the test he anticipated. He hopes to return in the next event.
Expect more of this. The fans should expect more performances like that. Anyone willing to challenge me for the lightweight title, I’m ready.
Special thanks to UFS and SportPesa for making this event successful, supporting the youth, and giving us a platform to showcase our talent.
I will be fighting again in February because I feel my training wasn’t fully tested today,” said Buyu, now on a six-fight unbeaten run.
The second featured bout of the evening was a welterweight clash, headlining the card with Mbumba of Tanzania taking on Kenya’s Juma.
Although the match began promisingly in the first round and seemed poised to go the eight-round distance, the momentum shifted in the second.
Juma secured his 11th consecutive unbeaten victory, knocking out Mbumba with a surprise punch and handing him his fifth career loss in 11 matches.
Speaking afterward, Mbumba acknowledged he was unprepared and hopes for a rematch, believing he can defeat Juma next time.
“In this sport, there’s win, loss, and draw and sometimes you must accept the result,” Mbumba said.
“However, I admit I didn’t train adequately, as I underestimated my opponent. I urge the promoter to arrange a rematch; I’m confident I can beat him in the next round.”
Juma responded by stating that a true boxer trains daily and thanked SportPesa for their sponsorship support.
“I don’t consider him a serious fighter he clearly didn’t train properly. A dedicated boxer lives in the gym. I also want to thank SportPesa for stepping up; many young athletes at home aspire to turn professional, and this is a great opportunity.”
The SportPesa boxing initiative, in collaboration with UFS, will stage nine events divided into quarters.
Each quarter will include two smaller events highlighting emerging talent, branded SportPesa Boxing Rising Stars, culminating in a major event titled SportPesa Boxing Night.
Not all events will be open to live audiences; some will be produced exclusively for streaming.
The next event will also be a SportPesa Boxing Rising Stars night on Thursday, February 26, with another event scheduled before the first quarter’s major showcase.
SportPesa Boxing Rising Stars – January 30 Collated Results
- John Juma vs David Mbumba – Lightweight/Welterweight – Juma by Knockout
- Javan Buyu vs Martin Shekivuli – Lightweight – Buyu by Knockout
- Abdi Bashir vs Suleiman Gitau – Super Flyweight – Abdi by Knockout (Round 4)
- Alice Waiyego vs Rael Ahubwe – Lightweight – Waiyego by Unanimous Decision
- Victor Njoroge vs Jacob Mahindu – Super Bantamweight – Njoroge by Technical Knockout (Round 3)
- Gentry Ochieng vs Elijah Kingi – Light Heavyweight – Kingi by Unanimous Decision
- Michael Oduor vs David Oluoch – Super Welterweight – Oduor by Unanimous Decision
- Luca Cosma (Tanzania) vs Peter Andayi – Bantamweight – Cosma by Knockout (Round 2)
- Leuka Mike (Congo) vs Jackson Munene – Flyweight – Munene by Unanimous Decision
- Samuel Wanjiku vs Simon Oricho – Lightweight – Wanjiku by Unanimous Points Decision