BY ADEYEMI ROBINSON-ADEFIOYE LAGOS
The 20TH EDITION OF GOTV BOXING NIGHT (GOtv Boxing Night 20) will be headlined by a World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental heavyweight title bout between US-based Nigerian, ONORIODE “GODZILLA” EHWARIEMI, and Argentina’s ARIEL “CHIQUITO” BARACAMONTE.
This was announced in Lagos yesterday at a press conference addressed by the organisers, FLYKITE PRODUCTIONS.
The bout is one of the nine scheduled for the show slated to hold on 28 December at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.
JENKINS ALUMONA, CEO of Flykite Productions, explained that the bout, which is the biggest to be staged on Nigerian soil in decades, is a part-fulfilment of the promise to host world-class bouts at the show.
“Nigeria has not hosted a bout of this profile in decades. We made a promise to put Nigeria back on the global boxing map and we are happy to see the promise come to fruition. We believe this bout provides an indication of the return to health of Nigerian boxing since GOtv launched an intervention to revive the sport which, long before 2014, was in coma,” said ALUMONA.
He disclosed that the nine-bout event will also feature live musical performances by ZLATAN IBILE, MAYORKUN and ORITSEFEMI among others.
In addition to the headline clash, fights lined up include the West African Boxing Union (WABU) lightweight title defence by RILWAN “REAL ONE” OLADOSU, who takes on Ghana’s EZEKIEL ANAN; WABU welterweight title defence by RILWAN “BABY FACE” BABATUNDE against Ghana’s SANITOR AGBENYO; national featherweight challenge clash between TAIWO “ESEPO” AGBAJE and OLUSEGUN MOSES; as well as national super featherweight duel between RIDWAN “SCORPION” OYEKOLA and SIKIRU “OMO IYA ELEJA” SHOGBESAN.
Also in action are ADEWALE “MASEVEX” MASEBINU, who takes on OLANREWAJU SEGUN; ADEYEMI “SENSE” OPEYEMI, who fights SADIQ ADELEKE; ALABA OMOTOLA, who takes on BOLAJI ABDULLAHI; and rising female ring artist, CYNTHIA “BOBY GIRL” OGUNSEMILORE, who faces AMINAT YEKINI.
The best boxer at the show will win a cash prize of N1million attached to the MOJISOLA OGUNSANYA MEMORIAL TROPHY.
