'Warriors of Africa' Boxing Thrills April 15

In the not too distant past, fight fans in Lagos were never in want of quality pro boxing shows. At the turn of the decade of the 70s through the eighties, Lagos, then the political capital of Nigeria was a Mecca for boxing fans who paid weekly pilgrimages to the city to watch fights. Boxers came from far and near to fight for laurels and cash. Then, Lagos was where it was all happening. World champions came from far and near and placed their crowns on the line, continental champions also risked their hard-earned titles. If they must lose their titles, then it should be in Lagos.

 A stream of champions flowed into the city. Saoul Mamby from the United States, Mount Kilimanjaro, from Kenya Langton Tinago from Zimbabwe, D.K Poison from Ghana and his compatriot Azumah Nelson were some of the boxers who came to Lagos. There were also the homeboys who made the scene tick, Dele Jonathan, Hogan Jimoh, Billy Savage, Ray Amoo, Lat Darasin, Kazeem Armah, Davidson Andeh, Joe Lasisi, Jerry Okoroodudu, Godwin Igele and a whole lot.

But from the mid nineties till now, the picture has changed. The boisterous boxing scene has become dormant. Fights happen more in the boardroom and courtroom than within the roped square. At the heart of the development is a leadership crisis, which is being fought fiercely on the pages of the newspapers, the airwaves and in the courtroom.

There is a clamour that the incumbent President Olaide Adeboye, a businessman who has been at the helm of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control NBB of C for 14 years should quit. He is being accused of sins ranging from fraud to running the board as a private estate.  A group has constituted itself into an interim board but Adeboye is not giving up the office without a fight.

Each side to the conflict is putting up a fierce struggle in the Lagos State High Court where the matter would be heard in mid May.
But the good news for fight fans is that the court battle has not hindered the packaging of a promotion, which would feature eighteen boxers on April 15, 2005. Now boxers who had become ring rusty and hungry for lack of fights are excited that they are given an opportunity to do what they knew how best to do. One of the boxers for the night, Ike Obi expressed his feeling about the upcoming show.

He said, “Every boxer’s prayer is that there should be regular fights because that is the only way we can live well. Most pro boxers do nothing outside boxing so the April 15 show is one big event that we are waiting for” Venue for the show, is the National Institute of Sports, NIS Gymnasium in Lagos.Three promotional outfits are collaborating to make the show christened “Return of the Warriors of Africa” a reality. They are Incentive Promotions, Atlantic Promotions and Elmways Associates. Five World Boxing Organisation, WBO African title bouts and four undercards are on the bill.

Gladiators for the night come from both home and from across the borders. Former national heavyweight champion Charles Udalor who will be disputing the vacant national heavyweight title with compatriot Chukwumah Okolichi leads the Nigerian challenge. Other fighters for the night include homeboy Adewale Abbey facing a foreign invader from Democratic Republic of Congo in the person of Guislain Kaiabele  for the vacant WBO Africa heavyweight title.

Fight fans have been looking forward with great expectation to this night of nine fights. An aficionado Olugbenga Moses said he just could not wait for April 15. “Since the media campaign to herald the fight was launched in late February, I have been too excited because it is a long time I last witnessed a quality evening”, he told me in Lagos.

With the class of boxers lined up for the evening, it would be a bumper session. There are grudge encounters, rematch, title fights, challenge contests and a demonstration bout featuring female boxers. Vice President of the WBO, Africa zone, Irene Cole who has been working round the clock to ensure that nothing goes wrong on April 15 is upbeat about her expectation. “It is going to be a marathon fight night, an event of the decade, a turning point for Nigerian pro boxing” she declared in a chat.

Cole is certain, that April 15 would mark the return of the old order when Lagos was the Mecca where every boxer from across the globe wanted to be. The boxers are eager to step into the ring and the fight fans can’t wait to hear the big bell toll and the referee bark out his final order “fight” to the boxers. A night to remember truly looms ahead. “Seconds out”.   

You won't be able to add comments, unless you are logged in
Not Registered yet ? Click here to Register.