Relief At Last For Ali, Oba King Takes Over World Title Bout

There are strong indications that the much awaited Guinness Book of World Record fight between Nigeria’s Bashiru Lawrence Ali a.k.a Bash Ali and a yet to be named foreign boxer will now see the light of the day after a long delay.

Oba King International Promotions, P.M.NEWS Sports gathered, will now take over the bills of the fight, which will be staged in Nigeria at a yet to be named venue before the year runs out.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the new sponsor was unveiled in Abuja during a press conference where Bash Ali tendered an unreserved apology to President Goodluck Jonathan and the  Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi for any perceived misconduct in trying to make his world title fight a reality. Ali, stated that his actions in the process of achieving his objectives were not intentional or to hurt anybody.

“I will like to tender my unreserved apology to anybody I might have hurt in the process of my trying to bring honour, glory, employment and clean money to Nigeria.

“My apologies especially to President Jonathan and the Minister of Sports, Malam  Abdullahi who is also Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC). If I have hurt the President or the minister, I am sorry. It was not intentional. It is just my trying to do something for Nigeria. If Mr. President thinks that I upset him by breaking protocol to see him, I am sorry,’’ said the World Boxing Federation, WBF, cruiserweight champion since 2000.

Ali said he was not asking the federal government to finance the fight but to help by inaugurating the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and create an enabling environment for the project.

“I just want the federal government to go ahead and inaugurate the LOC. That is all.

“The project will be private sector-driven with the federal government providing the enabling environment,’’ he said.

The boxer said the profit realised from the project would be used to establish five boxing academies and a sports equipment manufacturing factory in the country. “This will provide employment for the youths of this country,’’ he said.

Ali said he had been paying fees to the International Boxing Union (IBU) to extend the deadline given to host the first Guinness Book of World Records (GBWR) fight.

The promoter, Otunba Benson Akingboye of Oba King International Promotions, said he was ready to promote the first GBWR fight in Africa.

He said the fight would surpass the legendary Mohammed Ali versus George Foreman fight held in the then Zaire in 1974.

“It will be the most lucrative fight ever held anywhere in the world,’’ Akingboye said.

He said he became a boxing promoter to rewrite boxing history in Nigeria.

“George Foreman entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest boxer to win a world title in his country, the U.S.

“Also, Joe Bugner at the age of 48 years 110 days broke the record in his country Australia. So, it is only befitting that our own champion rewrite boxing history in our great country,’’ the promoter said.