GOtv Boxing Night 6 Proves Boxing A Match For Football

“Don’t ever doubt that boxing has its own crowd,” a boxing coach was overheard saying, with barely disguised cockiness, to a fan at the National Stadium, Lagos, on March 25. It was the date of GOtv Boxing Night 6 and of course, that of the first leg of the African Cup of Nations qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Pharaohs of Egypt.

The coach’s claim was provoked by the fan’s concern that the boxing event would not attract the kind of crowd it regularly does since it debuted in November 2014. It was a legitimate concern, given that against any other sport, football always wins whenever there is a contest for fans’ affection.

But, on the day in question, the outcome was different, proving the boxing coach right.

As early as 11am, fans had started buying tickets for the six fights scheduled for GOtv Boxing Night 6. The early ticket purchase, without doubt, was helped by the decision of the organisers, Flykite Promotions, to mount a 20 square metre LED TV set at the venue.

The TV set was provided to ensure that fans could watch the match, which came first, and watch boxing immediately after. And they came in thick streams. At kick-off, the hall, expectedly, erupted in loud roars which, interspersed with gasps and sighs, persisted until the Egyptians wiped out Eagles’ single-goal advantage in the dying embers of the game.

Joy, however, was restored by the first bell of  GOtv Boxing Night 6, headlined by two West African title fights. With a near-capacity crowd, the venue throbbed with excitement. Many fans kept their eyes on the giant TV screen on which they watched the event being broadcast live in 47 African countries by SuperSport.

Watching on TV came with two advantages: Seeing  action replays in slow motion and seeing themselves dancing with abandon when the cameras panned towards them during musical intervals between rounds.

For most fans, it was hard to choose the most explosive of the three biggest fights on the night. The West African middleweight title bout between Nigeria’s Abolaji “Afonja Warrior” Rasheed and Ghana’s Adjei “Hitman” Sowah was marked the latter’s capacity to remain on his feet despite a first-round volley of vicious punches to his face and head. The Ghanaian was literarily a punch bag. The punishment continued, to a lesser extent, when Sowah, though doing little offensively, probably must have nursed a faint hope of recovery. Whatever hope he had was extinguished in the third round when the referee decided he had been punished enough for the fight to be stopped. Afonja Warrior went home with the belt. The West African light welterweight challenge between Olaide ” Fijaborn” Fijabi and Benin Republic’s Djamiou “Ayetoto” Ekekpo was a slow burner.

But when it caught fire, it did in a big way. Fijabi, who is famous for his fast and furious punching, was cleverly kept at bay by his showy opponent. It was not until the third of the 12 rounds that the Nigerian started finding chinks in the Beninois’ defence to deliver telling punches. By the sixth round, the fight was stopped. Fijabi, who was eventually voted best boxer of the night, had won the title as well as the N1million attached to the award and the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy.

The national lightweight challenge bout between Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph and Hogan Jimoh Jnr., son of boxing legend Hogan Jimoh, similarly delivered thrills aplenty, as fans roared Joe Boy on. The roar lasted just one round as the fight was stopped to save Hogan Jimoh Jnr. from his opponent’s viciousness.  In the opening fight of the night, Michael “Rolland” was knocked out by Nwoye “Lion” Prince in a national lightweight challenge featuring two pro debutants and products of GOtv Boxing NextGen Search. Two other products of the search, Saidi “Attacker” Lawal and Samuel “Godspower” Elegbede took on each other in a national super middleweight challenge bout, with the latter winning by a knockout. Another discovery of the GOtv Boxing NextGen Search, Matthew Obinna defeated the more experienced Yusuf “Koste” Moshood.

The next edition of the event, slated for 1 May, will host the long awaited national lightweight title bout between Prince Nurudeen, reigning champion, and Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph. Nurudeen was on hand to boast that he is fully recovered from the hand injury on which he blamed his loss to Joe Boy in challenge contest at GOtv Boxing 4.

Will he retain his title? GOtv Boxing Night 7 will provide the answer