21st July, 2015
Taiwo Adelu
The Nigerian Boxing Board of Control, NBB of C, has commended GOtv, a multimedia pay TV service, headline sponsor of the GOtv Boxing Night.
The professional boxing tournament, which debuted last November, is in its third edition and will hold on 26 July at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, venue of the event.
NBB of C Secretary, Mr. Remi Aboderin, said GOtv should be praised for the investment it has made in boxing. According to Aboderin, since GOtv began sponsoring the event, boxing has regained much of its lost glory and boxers are happy and better off for it.
“GOtv is giving out N1 million to the best boxer at the event. That has never happened. Boxers are getting fights unlike before when they waited for between three and four years to fight
“The only way boxing is going is up is with GOtv’s support. Boxers, fans and stakeholders are happy with this revival,” he said.
GOtv Boxing Night, a six-bout professional boxing event sanctioned by the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C) and is in its second edition, is conceived to arrest the decline boxing is currently experiencing in Nigeria and aims at bringing continental and world title fights to Nigeria in the near future.
The third edition is a massive upgrade on the previous ones, as the best boxer on the night will walk away with a cash prize of N1million.
The event will feature fights in various weight categories, with the biggest being the 12-round National Light Middleweight contest between Sule
“Tyson” Olagbade, reigning champion, and Abolaji “Afonja Warrior” Rasheed.
Another big one is a six-round international female bout between Nigeria’s Helen “Iron Lady” Johnson and Gifty “Tiger” Amanua Ankrah of Ghana
The event will also feature a Light Welterweight challenge duel between Kazeem “Iberu” Ariyo and Olaide “Fijaborn” Fijabi. The fight will span eight rounds.
In the Lightweight category, Prince Nurudeen Fatai will take on Chibuzor “T-Boy” Obi over eight rounds, while Sunday “Golden Child” Ajuwa is billed to fight Femi “Easywhite” Ajayi in an eight round Cruiserweight challenge bout.
In the Heavyweight division, Onoriode “Onos” Ehwarieme will go head-to-head with Adewale “Masevex” Masebinu in a six-round challenge bout.
GOtv Boxing Night is also supported by MultiChoice, SuperSport, KSquare Security, Newsbreak.ng, Complete Sports, Brilla FM and Paragonis Multimedia Limited.