GOtv Boxing: ABU approves new opponent for Edo Boy
The African Boxing Union has approved a new opponent for Nigeria’s Stanley “Edo Boy” Eribo, who is fighting for the ABU welterweight title at GOtv Boxing Night 10, holding on Boxing Day at the Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos. The new opponent is a crack Ghanaian, Isaac Sowah, who had previously fought for the African and the Commonwealth titles.
Eribo, the national welterweight champion, was initially billed to fight Meshack “Smart Boy” Mwankemwa of Tanzania, who pulled out claiming he could not secure a Nigerian visa, a claim dismissed by the Nigerian a lie.
“Meshack was afraid that he would be beaten. He came up with the lie to avoid a certain defeat. I had planned to knock him out in the third round. I suspect that having watched my fights, he concluded that he would be beaten and invented the visa lie,” Eribo said. But Sowah, the new opponent, is a boxer with a huge profile.
He has had 25 fights, winning 18, with impressive showings in the last four. Sowah who spoke on arrival at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos boasted that he was in Nigeria to win the ABU title and prove that Ghana is the top boxing country in Africa.
GOtv Boxing Night 10 will feature a total of six fights. Bitter rivals Oto “Joe Boy” Joseph will take on Nurudeen “Prince” Fatai for the third time. Joe Boy won the two previous fights, including one in which he dethroned Fatai as national lightweight champion. Also in the lightweight division, Rilwan “Real One” Oladosu will take on Prince “Lion” Nwoye. Similarly in action is national featherweight champion, Waidi “Skoro” Usman, who takes on the former champion, Dare “Fighting Machine” Oyewole. The light heavyweight division will see a challenged contest between Kabiru “KB Godson” Towolawi and Emmanuel “Man Mopol” Igwe. In the light welterweight division, fast rising Rilwan “Baby Face” Oladosu will take on Sikiru “Omo Iya Eleja” Shogbesan.
The best boxer will win N1.5m. Hip-hop rave, Small Doctor, will perform live at the event.