Boxing fans in Lagos State have expressed delight over the upcoming GOtv Boxing Night 19, holding on Sunday at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium. The last edition of the show held in Ibadan in April.
Speaking during seprate interviews at the National Stadium on Wednesday, the fans stated that they are thrilled that they will not have to travel, as they did in April, to see the best of Nigerian boxing.
Morufu Odewole, a fan of West African Boxing Union (WABU) welterweight champion, Rilwan “Baby Face” Babatunde, said he is excited at possibility of watching the boxer fight in Lagos after a long period.
“I’m happy that GOtv Boxing Night is back home in Lagos. I am particularly excited that Baby Face will in action, as it has been a long time since I last saw him fight,” he said.
Another fan, Tajudeen Omotayo, explained that the event would finally afford him a chance to watch a boxing bout live at the stadium.
“I’m a frequent visitor to this stadium and I’ve watched some football and basketball matches here, but I’ve never watched a boxing bout live. Therefore, I think Sunday is the perfect time for me to watch some of these boxers, some whom I’ve watched do battle on television,” he remarked.
On her part, Tolani Adejumo commended the organisers for ensuring that female boxers are on the card.
“As a boxing fan and as a female, I am very happy that GOtv Boxing Night is bringing female boxers to compete at the event. For long, female boxers have not been part of big boxing events. I applaud GOtv for ensuring that Nigerians will watch our female boxers once again.”
GOtv Boxing Night 19 will feature nine professional bouts, the biggest being the international welterweight challenge bout between Babatunde and Eden Biki of Ghana.
Other bouts include a national lightweight challenge contest between reigning African Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight champion, Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph and Tope “Berinja” Agboola; as well as another bout between Hammed “Ese Hammed” Ganiyu and current West African Boxing Union (WABU) lightweight champion, Rilwan “Real One” Oladosu.
Former ABU featherweight champion, Waidi “Skoro” Usman will go head-to-head against Taiwo “Esepo” Agbaje; while Kazeem “The Light” Oliwo will square up against Tope “TP Rock” Musa in the national featherweight challenges.
Adeyemi “Spirit” Adekanla will take on Isaac “I Star” Chukwudi in the other national light welterweight bout on the night.
The best boxer at the event will go home with a cash prize of N1 million alongside the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy.
GOtv Boxing Night 19 will be beamed live on Africa’s biggest sport 9 8channel, SuperSport, in 47 African countries.
