Bakary Samake successful KO defense of WBC Silver crown

In a spectacular fusion of sport and entertainment, French boxer Bakary Samake successfully defended his WBC Silver Super Welterweight title against South African Roarke Knapp at the Paris La Défense Arena.

The fight, which served as the overture for a concert by rapper Gazo, and drew an impressive crowd of approximately 30,000 spectators, marking a unique event that combined boxing with live music.

At just 21 years old, Samaké demonstrated his prowess in the ring, scoring a knockout victory in the eighth round. The decisive moment came when he landed a powerful left hook to Knapp’s liver, followed by another left hook to the head, sending the South African to the canvas.

This victory consolidated Samaké’s record to a total of 18 unblemished victories in as many fights, 10 of them by knockout.

This path to this title defense began in November 2024, when he captured the WBC Silver belt from Australian Wade Ryan in Paris. The victory over Knapp not only retained her title, but also strengthened his position in the highly competitive junior middleweight division, dominated by Sebastian Fundora and Terence Crawford.