Gotv Boxing Nights To Feature Commonwealth, African Title Bouts Soon – Organiser

Jenkins Alumona, the originator of Gotv Boxing Night, says that there are plans to feature African title fights and Commonwealth title challenges to put home grown talents on the world map.

Alumona made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria after the sixth Gotv Boxing Night, which had 12 boxers fighting each other, ended on Friday.
According to Alumona, the event has continued to grow after the first edition in 2014 and the next step is to organise Commonwealth fights and more African title fights.
He said: “We are happy about the success recorded so far.
“The event is fast gaining ground in the continent and we can only go higher in our standards.
“Our next step for the seventh and eight editions is to add more value by involving more African and Commonwealth challenges.
“This will give home grown talents the opportunity to test their abilities and the chance to grow in world boxing rankings.”
NAN reports that six fights held at the boxing show, with all ending in technical knockouts of gruelling contest that kept the capacity crowd on their feet.
Prince “Lion” Nwoye took out Michel “Show” Roland in the fifth round of their National Lightweight challenge after unleashing some combination of serious blows on Roland.
The referee had to stop the fight because it was obvious that Roland could not take more beating.
Similarly, Samuel “Godspower” Elegbede wasted no time in letting his opponent, Saidi “Attacker” Lawal, understand how skillful he was in their National Super Welterweight Challenge.
Elegbede’s combination of blows well delivered into Lawal’s face registered a deep cut to his face, which made him bleed uncontrollably and made Lawal unable to retaliate Elegbede’s firepower.
The referee saw that Lawal had received enough punches and halted the fight in the second round that gave Elegbede a deserved victory.
It was Elegbede’s first fight at the professional level.
Elegbede said he was happy to win his first fight at the professional level and that he was prepared to train harder to win more bouts in the future.
He said: “I am happy fighting at the big stage.
“I took that decision recently and I am confident that I will go far in my professional career.”
In the National Lightweight Challenge, Otto “Joeboy” Joseph gave no room for Hogan Jimoh Junior as he decked him into submission in the first round of their fight.
Mathew “Wiseman” Obinna also pummeled Yusuf “Koste” Joseph into submission in the first round of their National middleweight title challenge.
In a West African Light Welterweight Challenge, Nigeria’s Olajide “Fijaborn” Fijabi pummeled Djamiou Ekekpo of the Republic of Benin out in the sixth round.
Fijabi also was awarded the boxer of the night for his brilliant display and for entertaining the crowd.
He won N1 million and the Mojisola Ogunsanya boxer of the night award, an award Fijabi took a record third time.
An elated Fijabi said he was happy he won the bout and the best boxer award, adding that he took his time to understudy his opponents before descending on him.
He said: “My opponent was full of tricks.
“He was very calculative and always dancing around as if he was not serious.
“I had to observe and also be very careful as not to follow his pattern and when I got him with the hook punch, I knew it was over for him.”
Ekekpo said he was not happy about how the referee stopped the match and declared that he was robbed the opportunity of ending Fijabi’s reign as the star of the boxing night.
He said: “I gave Fijabi a good fight and was determined to push him to the limits to deal with him when it was time, but the referee hurriedly made a terrible decision when he stopped the fight.
“I agree Fijabi was hitting me hard but it did not make me to fall to the ground neither did the referee subject me to any count.
“The referee should be banned for making such a rash decision.”
In the same vein, Nigeria’s Abolaji “Afonja Warrior” Rasheed stopped Adjei Sowah of Ghana in the third round of their 12-round fight.
Rasheed said he was happy to beat Sowah and he praised the efforts of the GOtv Boxing Nights of giving him the opportunity.
Rasheed said: “I am happy to prove my worth to all my fans.
“I told everybody I was going to beat Sowah and that I have done it in style.
“I am looking forward to other big fights.”
The sixth edition of the boxing contest held at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
NAN