12th March, 2016
Taiwo Adelu
As the Good Friday date of the sixth edition of GOtv Boxing Night draws near, boxers taking part in the championship have continued to talk tough, expressing the determination not only to win their respective fights, but also cart home the N1 million star prize of the night.
The event is a six-fight professional boxing tourney featuring established stars and five graduates of the GOtv Boxing NextGen Search.
Adjei Sowah, the Ghanaian opponent of Abolaji “Afonja Warrior” Rasheed in the West African middleweight boxing title duel, vowed to punch the Nigerian until he starts seeing double in the ring.
The encounter, which headlines the sixth edition of GOtv Boxing Night holding on 25 March at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Lagos, is viewed by Sowah as an opportunity to avenge the loss of compatriot Alfred “Ahwor” Quaye to Nigeria’s Waidi “Skoro” Usman at the third edition of the GOtv Boxing Night.
Sowah, who spoke from his base in Accra, said: “I’m coming to show the guy who calls himself warrior that he is nothing buy a pussy cat. I will avenge the loss of Quaye to Skoro and show the world that Nigeria still trails Ghana in boxing. He calls himself a warrior, but when he sees war in the ring, he will become a pussy cat. I will punch him until he starts seeing double.”
The Ghanaian claimed to have been watching the fights of his Nigerian opponent and concluded that he is still way below the standards of his previous opponents, whom he defeated.
“Ordinarily, he won’t go beyond three rounds. But I want the fans to enjoy the bout. I will prolong the punishment and punch him sufficiently to make him see double,” he bragged.
Djamiou Ekekpo, the Beninois boxer, billed to fight Nigeria’s Olaide “Fijaborn” Fijabi for the West African light welterweight title, has vowed to reduce his yet unbeaten opponent to pulp when they meet on the night.
Speaking in the company of his manager, Ekekpo, said that everybody at the venue will enjoy the fight except Fijabi, who will be beaten like a baby.
“He has not been beaten because he hasn’t met me yet. He will be beaten at the GOtv Boxing Night on Good Friday and he will remember that day as bad Friday because I will walk away with the belt after giving him the beating of his life. I beat people for fun. Tell him I said so,” boasted Ekekpo.
Responding, Fijabi, the reigning national light welterweight champion and a former winner of the best boxer prize at the GOtv Boxing Night, described Djamiou’s boasts as impotent.
“If he said what has been attributed to him, it means he doesn’t understand that people with thick facial marks, like I have, were taught to inflict pain from childhood when our faces were marked. I will inflict the kind of pain he has never experienced.
“I will give him facial marks with punches and make him return to his country crying,” raved Fijabi.
Also lined up is the national lightweight challenge clash between Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph and Hogan Jimoh Jnr., son of former boxer Hogan Jimoh aka Atomic Bomb. The bearded Hogan Jimoh has vowed to show boxing fans that the Atomic Bomb has returned.
The three other fights will have five of the boxers discovered at the GOtv Boxing NextGen Search start their lives as professionals. One of the fights will see Michael “Show Rolland” fight Nwoye “Lion” Prince in a lightweight challenge bout. There will also be two super middleweight bouts. One will be between Saidi “Attacker” Lawal and Samuel “Godspower” Elegbede, while the other will feature Matthew “Wizeman” Obinna against the experienced Yusuf “Koste” Moshood.
The best boxer on the night will go home with N1million and the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy.
Sponsored by GOtv, the event is supported by MultiChoice, SuperSport, Newsbreak.ng, KSquare Security, Paragonis Multimedia Limited, Complete Sports, Bond FM and Brila FM. It will be broadcast live by SuperSport in 47 African countries.