GOtv Boxing Night: Stakeholders, Fans Hail Organisers

Stakeholders and fans of boxing in the country have lauded GOtv, headline sponsors of GOtv Boxing Night, for the successful organisation of the fourth edition of the six-bout professional boxing event and contributions to the revival of the sport.
The event, which held on Sunday at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, left stakeholders and the audience in raptures.

Secretary-General of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C) Mr. Remi Aboderin described GOtv Boxing Night as the lifeline that has saved the sport from going into extinction.

“Everybody associated with boxing must be grateful to GOtv for rescuing the sport from the doldrums. Without funding and high quality organisation by GOtv and Flykite Productions, the promoters, I shudder to think what could have happened to boxing,” he said.

Dr. Rafiu Ladipo, President-General of the Nigerian Supporters Club and member of the NBB of C, shares similar sentiments. ” GOtv has offered boxers the opportunity of fighting more regularly, something that was not happening before, and the sport is back on a sound footing. If we keep this up, the sport will fully recover in no time,” he said.

Fans at the event were effusive in their commendations for the sponsors, with many of them hoping that the event grows and for the country to produce a world champion soon.

Ottoh “Joe Boy” Joseph was the revelation of the fourth edition of the GOtv Boxing Night, as he was named the best boxer of the event. He defeated Nurudeen “Prince” Fatai in a National Lightweight challenge contest to win the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy and the cash prize of N1m.

Boxing Fans at the 3rd GOtv Boxing Night held at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium Surulere, Lagos.

Another winner on the night was Waidi “Skoro” Usman, the West African Featherweight champion, who knocked out Taofik “Taozon” Bisuga in the fourth round of their eight-round contest. Olaide “Fijaborn” Fijabi, first winner of the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy and the N1m cash prize, also came out triumphant when he defeated Saheed “Happy Boy” Olayiwola by a fifth round knockout of Light Welterweight challenge contest. Isiaka “Easy Lion” Yusuf was knocked out by Stanley “Edo Boy” Eribo in the third round of their National Featherweight challenge bout.

The night’s major bout saw Nigeria’s Isaac Ekpo, a former Commonwealth Super Middleweight champion, accounting for Burkina Faso’s Jules Kabore, who was knocked out in the fifth round of the scheduled 10-round bout. The first fight of the night featured Jamiu “Naval Man” Olabode against Pelumi “Haggler” Sodubi, who was knocked in the second round.
The tournament is supported by other corporate bodies like MultiChocie, SuperSport, KSquare Security, Custodian Assurance Limited, Complete Sports, Brilla FM, Bond FM and Newsbreak.ng.

GOtv Boxing Night: Boxers Talk Tough

Ahead of the GOtv Boxing Night holding on Sunday at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, opponents have been swapping boasts of decimating each other. Nigeria’s Isaac “Grenade” Ekpo, a former Commonwealth Super Middleweight champion, has vowed to stop his opponent Jules “Tyson” Kabore of Burkina Faso in the fourth of their 10-round contest when they meet in the event’s headline bout. “Kabore is taller than I am, but that will have no bearing on the fight. I will be celebrating my birthday on Sunday and I have to give myself a birthday present. Stopping Kabore in the fourth round is the present that I want and deserve. He is not going beyond that and he knows,” raved Ekpo.

Kabore is also talking up his own chances against an accomplished opponent.

Responding to Ekpo’s claim that he cannot be defeated in Nigeria, Kabore said: “I won four of my seven fights via TKO. I am undefeated since turning pro. I am taller and better than Ekpo. Tell him that. He will fall. That is not a subject for debate.”
Nurudeen “Prince” Fatai, the National Lightweight champion billed to fight Joe “Otto Boy” Joseph in a challenge contest, has dismissed his opponent’s chances of defeating him as non-existent. “I have been a champion for ten years. It takes something to be a champion, which Ottoh does not have. Many have tried and failed. Ottoh will fail,” he said waspishly. Ottoh’s response was similarly threat-filled. “Tell him that he has spent his time. This is my time. I will beat him and tell him that his time has gone. No story,” he bragged.

Olaide “Fijaborn” Fijabi, who won the one million cash prize for the best boxer at the last edition of the GOtv Boxing Night, is convinced that he will repeat the trick when he takes on Saheed “Happy Boy” Olayiwola in a National Light Welterweight challenge duel. Fijabi said his opponent will transmute into a sad boy from “Happy Boy”.

“He calls himself Happy Boy, but when I finish with him, he will be the saddest boy in the whole of Nigeria. Just wait and see,” he boasted. Happy Boy, however, is convinced that he will be the happier guy at the end of the fight.

“Fijabi is a small boy. I will teach him boxing and he will go home crying like a baby,” he retorted.

Olaide Fijaborn Fijabi,

GOtv Boxing Night, an initiative to revive boxing in Nigeria, will feature six professional fights. The others aresix-round duels which will see Jamiu “Naval Man” Olabode, take on Pelumi “Haggler” Sodubi in a Welterweight challenge, while Stanley “Edo Boy” Eribo will duel with Isiaka “Easy Lion” Yusuf. Waidi “Skoro” Usman will take on Taofik “Taozon” Bisuga in a Featherweight challenge contest.

The event, which starts at 4pm, will be broadcast live on SuperSport.

Sponsored by pay-TV company, GOtv, the tournament which started last November, also held in March and July. GOtv Boxing Night is supported by other corporate bodies like MultiChocie, SuperSport, KSquare Security, Custodian Assurance Limited, Complete Sports, Brilla FM, Bond FM and Newsbreak.ng.

GOtv Boxing Night: Fijabi Wins N1m Cash Prize

Boxing Fans at the 3rd GOtv Boxing Night held at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium Surulere, Lagos.

Olaide “Fijaborn” Fijabi, the star Light Welterweight boxer, won the biggest ever pay-out in the history of Nigerian boxing, as he was voted best boxer at the GOtv Boxing Night on Sunday.

Fijabi also went home with the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy and plenty of adulation, following his defeat of Kazeem “Iberu” Ariyo, by unanimous decision, in an eight-round contest.

From the first round, Fijabi, the clear crowd favourite, punished his opponent with deft combinations that left the huge crowd screaming his name.

Ariyo, a decent boxer in his own right, however, found Fijabi too hot to handle.

Sule “Tyson” Olagbade, National Light Middleweight champion, retained his belt, following his defeat of challenger, Rasheed “Afonja Warrior” Abolaji

In another big fight on the night, Sule “Tyson” Olagbade, National Light Middleweight champion, retained his belt, following his defeat of challenger, Rasheed “Afonja Warrior” Abolaji in their closely-contested 12-round bout.

All the judges called the fight in Olagbade’s favour. Both boxers fought with gusto, drawing unrestrained applause from the crowd.

Onoriode “Onos” Ehwarieme knocked out Adewale “22Masevex” Masebinu in the second round.

In the Lightweight category, the challenge bout between Prince Nurudeen Fatai and Chibuzor “T-Boy” Obi ended in the latter’s favour by unanimous decision.

Sunday “Golden Child” Ajuwa also defeated Femi “Easywhite” Ajayi in an eight-round Cruiserweight challenge.

Onoriode “Onos” Ehwarieme knocked out Adewale “Masevex” Masebinu in the second

In the Heavyweight division, Onoriode “Onos” Ehwarieme knocked out Adewale “Masevex” Masebinu in the second of their six-round challenge bout.

The international female bout between Nigerian boxer, Helen “Iron Lady” Johnson and Ghana’s Gifty “Tiger” Ankrah was won by unanimous decision by the Nigerian.

L-R: Adewunmi Ogunsanya, Chairman MultiChoice Nigeria; Olaide Fijabi, winner of a trophy and One Million Naira; Jenkins Alumona, Managing Director, Flykite Productions; John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria and Felix Awogu, General Manager, SuperSport during 3rd GOtv Boxing Night held at the Indoor Sports Hall of National Stadium Surulere, Lagos Sunday 26th of July, 2015

Sponsored by GOtv, the event is supported by MultiChoice, SuperSport, KSquare Security, Newsbreak.ng, Complete Sports, Brilla FM and Paragonis Multimedia Limited.