He took the vacant Universal Boxing Organization bantamweight crown against Twalib Muribu in Dec 2006. He was the warrior who stopped African Boxing Union super flyweight champion Francis Miyeyusho with a first-round knockout on Apr 5, taking him off the race for the IBF Intercontinental super flyweight title in the meantime.. That’s Nick “Kanyankole” Otieno, a hardboiled African champion who move into the scene of world boxing with fists and heart on fire.
Otieno (15-1-0, KOs 5) is known in African boxing circles for his fast-faced and unrelenting assaults that often deluge his opponents into submission within the first rounds. An orthodox fighter, he has been the busiest boxer in his region over the last few years.
UBO Press Center noted on its Mar 6, 2007 report the manner he handled his encounter against challenger and rematch opponent Muribu last year: “The fast-paced start of the fight against Twalib Muribu…he managed to rattle Muribu in the first round, snatching dominance in the succeeding rounds until referee Wycliff Marende stopped the fight in the 7th round.”
The Professional Journalists Association of Kenya (Projak) has known Otieno for “his indefatigable style, where he lets no opponent rest in the ring, often he has been dubbed ‘pressure’ for his maintenance of a high pace over 12 rounds.”
In an email report sent to ALA Promotions Media Affairs, Kenyan correspondent Edward Sande Jabjab Kenya quoted Otieno: “I really need to prove myself, and I wanted to go for the title. But I am happy with the opportunity to face the No. 5 rated boxer in (IBF) super flyweight for a title or not. And I know I can win that fight.”
When asked about his slated fight with IBF Intercontinental champion Z “The Dream” Gorres, Otieno laughed: “One more time? Yes, and this time this is my time.”
The Otieno camp expected that winning the May-31 encounter at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino would be his ticket to the more lucrative American boxing scene. It would place him in line to challenge for the IBF super flyweight top post.
For the Gorres camp, the upcoming skirmish turns into a critical fight that could dispel his chance to challenge the emerging winner of the Kirilov-Darchinyan battle on August 2.
The “One More Time” card is also a comeback vehicle of former WBC world flyweight champion Malcolm “Eagle Eye” Tuñacao. Tickets are available in ALA Gym BTC (4162011), Islands Souvenirs Ayala (2312581) and SM City Cebu (2321906), and Bisaya Ispisyal Ayala (2312376) and SM City Cebu (2320610).