GOtv Boxing Night 8: Afonja Warrior lauds sponsors

NEW national middleweight champion, Abolaji “Afonja Warrior” Rasheed, has described the intervention of GOtv, sponsors of GOtv Boxing Night, in Nigerian boxing as the saving grace of the boxers and the sport itself.

Speaking after dethroning Sunny “King Hammer” Iyere at GOtv Boxing Night 8 on Saturday, Afonja said many boxers would have ended up in some less noble activities if the sponsors had not intervened.

“Many boxers were not getting fights until GOtv Boxing Night started in 2014. You heard my opponent say that he had not fought for a long time because there were no promotions and the pay was poor. Things are rapidly changing and for this, we have to thank the sponsors for making things happen,” he said.

Abolaji with the national middleweight 

Hammer, who last fought in 2011, had congratulated Afonja on his victory and admitted that he only agreed to stake his title because of the name of the sponsors.

The biggest winner of the night was featherweight star, Waidi “Skoro” Usman, who was adjudged the best boxer at the event, following his superb showing in his defeat of David “Lucky Boy” Ekpeyong.

Skoro, who had promised an explosive return, made good his promise to the admiration of the crowd at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos. He won the N1million cash prize and Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy for the best boxer.

In the light welterweight division, Olaide “Fijaborn” Fijabi took only 58 seconds to dismiss Tombraye “Tornado” Christmas. In the same division, Rilwan “Baby Face” Babatunde defeated Shakiru “No Shaking” Lateef via unanimous decision.

Stanley “Edo Boy” Eribo, national welterweight champion, knocked out Dele “Lagelu” Adeleke in the fifth round. The super middleweight bout between Matthew ‘Wizeman” Obinna and Samuel “Lion Heart” Igbokwe was declared a no contest.