22nd October, 2015
On Sunday, 25 October, at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Lagos, another feast of boxing will be enjoyed by fans.
The occasion is the fourth edition of the GOtv Boxing Night, a six-fight professional boxing event that has successfully rebooted public interest in the sport as well as banished the long wait that boxers had to endure between fights.
Just as it was at the last edition of the event, the best boxer of the evening will go home with a N1 million and a laurel, the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy, for his outstanding performance.
The first winner of the prize, Olaide ‘Fijaborn’ Fijabi, has a chance to further cement his reputation as a genuine article when he takes on Saheed ‘Happy Boy’ Olayiwola in an eight-round National Light Welterweight challenge bout.
Fijabi, whose rapid-fire punching has made him a darling of boxing fans around the country, has already vowed to win the prize again. Will he? It is not unsafe to bet against him repeating the feat.
But he may have to stand out a lot more, given the calibre of boxers featuring at the tourney.
Nigeria’s Isaac ‘Grenade’ Ekpo, a former Commonwealth Super Middleweight champion, and Burkina Faso’s Jules Kabore have the profile to thwart Fijabi’s bid for another big pay day when they clash in an international challenge bout, the headline fight at the event.
Ekpo, an ex-Olympian, is rated eighth in the world. His Burkinabe opponent has a record that suggests he is no soft touch.
Of his seven fights, he won four by knockout, two by unanimous decision and one by points, a record Ekpo considers as having no relevance to the duel.
“I will make him see hell before knocking him out in the fourth round,” boasted the Nigerian.
In another big fight, Nurudeen ‘Prince’ Fatai, National Lightweight champion, will take on Ottoh ‘Joe Boy’ Joseph in a challenge contest. Also on the card is Waidi ‘Skoro’ Usman, West African Featherweight champion, who is up against Taofik ‘Taozon’ Bisuga.
Skoro, a big draw among boxing fans, has vowed to send the more experienced Bisuga into retirement.
The fight line-up is completed by the Light Welterweight challenge duel between Stanley ‘Edo Boy’ Eribo and Isiaka ‘Easy Lion’ Yusuf and the six-round Welterweight challenge bout featuring Jamiu ‘Naval Man’ Ajibola and Pelumi ‘Haggler’ Sodubi.
Boxing fans at the venue have a chance to win 50 GOtv decoders, provided by the sponsors, through lucky dips to be held between fights. The first 500 fans to arrive the venue are guaranteed to go home with gifts like high quality T-shirts, ball pens, bags, diaries and water bottles.
The organisers have already assured fans of adequate protection from intimidation and harassment in around the venue of the event.
Jenkins Alumona, Managing Director of Flykite Productions, promoters of the event, disclosed that KSquare Security, a top class firm in partnership with GOtv Boxing Night, will provide security around the venue.
Sponsored by pay-TV company, GOtv, the tournament which started last November, also held in March and July.
GOtv Boxing Night is supported by other corporate bodies like MultiChocie, SuperSport, KSquare Security, Custodian Assurance Limited, Complete Sports, Brilla FM, Bond FM and Newsbreak.ng.
The event will be broadcast live on SuperSport.