Prince Dornu-Leiku

Rafael Mensah ready for world’s best Lightweights

Rafael Mensah ready for world’s best Lightweights

Unbeaten Ghanaian Lightweight, Rafael Mensah remains resolute in the pledge to follow in the footsteps of childhood hero, Ike Bazooka Quartey and bring Ghana another WBA world title.
One of the best kept secrets in Ghanaian boxing circles, Mensah, 21-0, 16 KOs has steadily found his way into the WBA rankings and is currently number 8 in the world.

He’s coming off a successful defence of the WBA Pan Africa Lightweight belt courtesy a round 4 TKO Mouibi Serouna of Togo and will be in action again on May 3 against former African champion, Abdul Malik Jabir.

When Eastsideboxing.com caught with Rafael Mensah in Accra, the boxer affirmed his readiness to challenge the elite Lightweights in world boxing but until he gets a shot he will be defending his African version of the WBA Lightweight belt.

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Ekpo wants all the big fights in the world

Ekpo wants all the big fights in the world

Still counting the gains and experience of challenging for the world title against Robert Stieglitz in Germany on October 19 last year, albeit unsuccessfully in a bid for the WBO world title, Ghana based Nigerian Super Middleweight, Isaac Ekpo has boldly declared his readiness to fight all of the top boxers in that division globally.

Ahead of his return to the ring on May 3 for the WBO Africa Super Middleweight belt, Eastsideboxing.com caught up with the former world title challenger at the Attoh Quarshie gym where he trains in Accra.
Ekpo, a stable mate of former world champion, Joshua Clottey was confident in his assertion that he is primed up for the big boys of the Super Middleweight division. Asked who he will like to fight, Ekpo replied that his dream fight will be against former WBC Super Middleweight champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr.

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Osumanu Adama won’t give up on world title dream

Osumanu Adama won’t give up on world title dream

He may have lost a second world title fight in two years but Ghana’s Osumanu Adama insists all is not lost and he can still realise the childhood dream of becoming a boxing world champion.

Adama,now 22-4, 16 KOs suffered the most annihilating defeat of his 12 year professional career last Saturday night in Monte Carlo following a round 7 technical knockout loss to IBO and WBA Super Middleweight king, Gennady Golovkin.
It was also the first time the Ghanaian nicknamed Machine Gun has ever been stopped in the ring but Adama remains unfazed, steadfastly maintaining his belief of claiming world championship glory before he retires.

“It was a disappointing loss but I will be back and I know I can get a world title shot again, I have agood feeling it will happen. I lost but it’s not the end of the world, I can still become world champion. I have to fulfill my dream,” Adama told this writer exclusively from his Joliet, Chicago base early Monday morning.

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Ghana’s Maxwell Awuku taunts WBA Interim champ Gamboa

Ghana’s Maxwell Awuku taunts WBA Interim champ Gamboa

Maxwell Awuku, the world title chasing Ghanaian Super Featherweight has thrown a challenge to the elite class of boxers in his division, declaring a readiness to face any of them in the ring but most notably Awuku wants to face Yuriorkis Gamboa, the Interim WBA Lightweight champion.

Awuku, a veteran of over a decade as a professional boxer having first taken to the ring way back in 2002 and who previously held both WBA Pan-Africa and WBO Africa Junior Lightweight belts believes he has gained enough experience to be able to match the elites in the Super Featherweight division.

“Talk about WBC champion, Takashi Miura, IBF king, Rances Barthelemy or WBO champ, Miguel Angel Garcia and I will tell you I can face any of them and emerge victorious. All I ask for is the opportunity to fight any of them anywhere,” Awuku said in an exclusive interview in Accra.

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Opalach, Samson ready for battle in Accra after weigh-in

Opalach vrs SamsonThe stage has been set for fireworks in Accra on Friday evening following a successful weigh-in at the Media Centre of the Accra Sports Stadium on Thursday afternoon by Prezmyslaw Opalach of Poland and Tanzanian slugger, Maisha Samson.

Opalach weighed 164 pounds and Samson 165 pounds ahead of their face off for the IBF International Super Middleweight championship at the DG Hathiramani Hall headlining the Warriors 2 boxing showpiece staged by Alex Ntiamoah-Boakye’s Box Office Sports Promotions in collaboration with Union Sports Promotions headed by Nana Ampofo.
“Boxing is a universal sport that brings people together so it doesn’t matter where it takes place. Agbeko comes from Ghana and he fought Rigondeaux who is from Cuba in USA so same way Opalach and Samson have come to Ghana to fight,” explained Box Office Promotions CEO Alex Ntiamoah-Boakye.

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Richie Commey begins Alive & Kicking Ambassadorial role

New ALIVE AND KICKING Ambassador Commey presents gloves and ballsGhana’s IBF Continental Africa Lightweight titlist, Richie Commey has began his new position as the Ambassador for social charity, Alive & Kicking after he was officially unveiled on Thursday October 10, 2013 in Accra to champion the cause of the NGO which produces balls to create employment in Kenya, Zambia and of course, Ghana.

Commey who has vowed to use the new role to encourage young potential sportsmen to attach equal importance to education as they will to their sports persuasions, has quickly stepped into the job by immediately touring two schools within the James Town suburbs where he grew up.

“It’s simply a great opportunity and I feel humbled and privileged to be appointed to this role. There are a lot of boxers and sportsmen in this country so for me to be chosen, is fantastic and feels great,” Commey told East Side Boxing exclusively after his unveiling.

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Dahou beats Dodze to win WBC Youth title

dahou wins wbc youthAlgerian, Nasreddine Dahou claimed the WBC Youth Welterweight championship following a 3rd round stoppage of Ghana’s Frank Dodze on Friday night in Accra.

Fighting in front of a massive crowd at the D.G. Hathiramani Hall of the Accra Sports Stadium, 21 year old Dahou defied the huge home advantage of Dodze, flooring the Ghanaian in round 2 of their scheduled 10-rounder before the corner of the Ghanaian couldn’t take it any longer, throwing in the towel in round 3 much to the delight of Dahou.

Afterwards, the Algerian was decorated with the WBC Youth Welterweight belt by WBC Vice President also African Boxing Union (ABU) President, Houcine Houichi ably assisted by Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) President, Peter Zwennes.

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Dahou and Dodze set for Friday night fight in Accra

Dahou vrs DodzeAll is set for the epic clash for the WBC Youth Welterweight championship in Accra on Friday night after a successful weigh-in by Frank Dodze of Ghana and his Algerian opponent, Nasreddine Dahou Thursday morning at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The unbeaten Dahou has sworn to return home as the new WBC Youth champion but Dodze is equally adamant the title is staying right here in Ghana after Friday night, setting the stage for a thriller at the Will Power Boxing Gym after both boxers weighed exactly 147 lbs under the supervision of WBC Africa President, Houcine Houichi of Tunisia.
“Ghana is my country, they like me and they like my team. I personally love the (Ghana national soccer team) Black Stars and I’m very happy to fight here in Ghana. I thank my team, Box Office Promotions, Mr. Otoo and the GBA for bringing me this title fight. It’s my dream to win the WBC title and I promise to give you a good show with a good fight,” Dahou told the Ghana based website, www.sportsinghana.com after clearing his weight.

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Labaran in SA ready for WBF Cruiserweight title fight Saturday

Labaran vrs SA opponentGhana’s Ibrahim Labaran has arrived in South Africa full of confidence ahead of Saturday’s fight against local hotshot, Kevin Lerena at the Heartfelt Arena, Thaba Tshwane, Pretoria, Gauteng. At stake is the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Cruiserweight belt.

World title chasing Labaran has earmarked victory against Lerena as the platform to announce himself to an audience outside Ghana and consequently unto the international stage, why his camp have provided incessant training and preparatory rudiments sure to power him to victory on Saturday night.

“We’ve trained really well and the boxer is in the shape of his life. The world title is our ultimate target so this fight in South Africa is a test for the boxer and we are confident he will win to bring this title home.

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