The countdown is over and tonight at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana, Emmanuel ‘Game Boy’ Tagoe will step into the ring for a first defence of his IBO Lightweight world title against Fernando David Saucedo of Argentina.
Both Tagoe (27-1, 13 KOs) and Saucedo (61-6-3, 10 KOs) made weight on Friday, both tilting the scales at 135 lbs to set the stage for the ring battle in the Ghanaian capital on Saturday night.
Tagoe who has targeted a bid for a unification of the lightweight division later this year, expressed confidence of chalking victory tonight and has promised to stop his opponent in round 6 of the scheduled 12.
“I’m ready for Saucedo, I have prepared very well for this fight, I will be going all out to defend the flag of Ghana. I will punish Saucedo, no matter what he does he will go down, I’m fired up for action,” Tagoe told reporters at the post weigh-in press conference.
But not one to easily stand down is Fernando Saucedo, the 2-time world title challenger who indicated that he will go into the fight looking for victory, the expected intimidating home crowd notwithstanding.
“I have been in the boxing game for so many years and I hope to win here. I know my opponent has the backing of the people here and the arena will be full of Ghanaians but that will not stop me from doing what I came here to do,” Saucedo said.
Put together by Asamoah Gyan’s BabyJet Promotions in collaboration with Box Office Sports Promotions and expected to be screened live across Africa and beyond on Supersport on DSTV, good old Albert Mensah makes a return to the ring against Charles Tetteh in a welterweight contest over 8 rounds on the undercard.
Completing the fight line-up on the show codenamed ‘Defend to Glory’ are Michael Pappoe versus Enoch Lamptey at lightweight over 8 rounds and a 6-round super bantamweight contest between Theophilus Tetteh and Alfred Quaye.