Boxing enthusiasts who packed Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, on Tuesday night for GoTv Boxing Night 30 won’t forget the evening in a hurry. Beyond the thrilling bouts, they were treated to a musical feast headlined by Nigeria’s hitmakers Nice, Teni, and Nasboi, whose performances had the crowd singing along with gusto.
The night’s first fight, the National Bantamweight challenge between Ararambi Ojo and Ibrahim “Golden Boy” Opeyemi, started slowly. The judges ruled it a draw with scores of 57-57, 58-57, and 57-58.
The second bout, the National Light Welterweight title fight between Ayanfe “Battle Boy” Adeoye and Ahmed “Eshe” Ganiyu, lived up to the hype. Ganiyu’s well-placed counterpunches ultimately secured him a knockout victory in the third round, sending Adeoye to the canvas.
Abdulafeez “Big Name” Oshoba’s technical knockout win over Christopher Ucheji marked the third fight of the night. Well-directed punches to the head and body proved too much for Ucheji to handle.
The National Super Flyweight title went to Sifon “Best” Iwat after ten gruelling rounds against Saheed Azeez. The judges, with scores of 78-76, 78-75, and 78-74, deemed Iwat the unanimous victor.
Blessing “Bless B” Abisoye fell short against Bolatito “Black Tito” Oluwole in the fifth fight. Despite a valiant effort, Abisoye received a unanimous decision defeat with scores of 57-56, 57-55, and 56-57.
The night culminated in a triumphant win for Nigeria’s Taiwo “Gentle Boy” Olowu over Ghana’s Suleiman “Dynamite” Alidu in their international West African Boxing Union (WABU) title fight. The judges awarded Olowu victory with scores of 78-76, 78-75, and 78-74.
Sifon “Best” Iwat’s exceptional performance earned him the coveted Mojisola Ogunsanya Best Boxer of the Night award, the highlight of the event.
Jenkins Alumona, CEO of Flykite Promotions (organizers of GoTv Boxing Night 30), expressed his elation over the large and well-behaved crowd. He emphasized their participation as a testament to Flykite’s commitment to developing boxing in Nigeria.
NAN