In 1965, Bessala won the All-Africa Games in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.

He twice won the African Championships in welterweight: in 1966 in Lagos, Nigeria, (prevailing over Ghanaian, Eddie Blay in the final) and 1968 in Lusaka, Zambia, where he prevailed in the final fight over the Zambian, Julius Luipa, whom he beat again at the Olympic Games.

Below are the results of Joseph Bessala, a welterweight boxer from Cameroon, who competed at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics: In October, Bessala started his professional career with a victory, where he defeated the Belgium's Jean-Pierre Heirmann with a first-round technical knockout.

After a longer break, Bessala gained back the African title from his fellow countryman, Bechir Boundka in June 1978.

He aimed to defend this title again in his 16th fight, but Mimoun Mohatar from Morocco knocked him out in the 12th round in December 1978.