GOtv Boxing Night: Boxers talk tough

With just a few days to the third edition of the GOtv Boxing Night, billed for 26 July at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Lagos, boxers on the card are talking tough.

Reigning National Light Middleweight champion, Sule “Tyson” Olagbade, has vowed to knock out his challenger Rasheed “Afonja Warrior” Abolaji in the third of their 12-round title fight.

“I am a knockout king. Abolaji will not go beyond the third round. I have trained hard and my opponent will know what a champion is,” he boasted. Abolaji, however, dismissed Olagbade’s boast as empty. “Champions,” he said, “don’t last forever. He has spent his time and this is my time. I am not boasting, but I am going home with the belt Insha Allah,” he replied.

Similar boasts have been swapped between Olaide “Fijaborn” Fijabi and Kazeem “Iberu” Ariyo, who will trade punches in an eight-round Light Welterweight contest. The better known Fijabi said Ariyo, whose ring name means fear, should be afraid of him because he will pummel him to submission within a few rounds. But Ariyo retorted that he is not called “Iberu” for nothing and he will put the fear of God into Fijabi when they meet in the ring.

GOtv Boxing Night, a six-fight professional boxing event, will also see fights between Nigeria’s Helen “Iron Lady” Johnson and Gifty “Tiger” Amanua Ankrah of Ghana, while Prince Nurudeen Fatai will take on Chibuzor “T-Boy” Obi in an eight-round Lightweight duel. Sunday “Golden Child” Ajuwa is billed to fight Femi “Easywhite” Ajayi in an eight-round Cruiserweight challenge bout.

The event, which has GOtv as the headline sponsor, is supported by MultiChoice, SuperSport, KSquare Security, Newsbreak.ng, Complete Sports, Brilla FM and Paragonis Multimedia Limited.

The competition debuted in November 2014 as a way of reviving the sport in the country. The second edition held in March. The event will be broadcast live on SuperSport. The best boxer at the event will go home with a cash prize of N1million.