Nigeria’s professional boxing sensation, Raheem Animashaun, popularly known as ‘Baddo’, emerged the youngest boxing champion in West Africa when he claimed the West African Boxing Union light-welterweight title on Sunday at the Gymnasium Hall of the National Institute for Sports, Lagos.
Fighting in front of hundreds of boxing enthusiasts in a fight promoted by De-Lads Boxing Promotions, the 16-year-old recorded a sixth-round technical knockout against Richman Ashelley of Ghana after the latter refused to continue in the seventh round.
Speaking shortly after the fight, Baddo said that although he could not keep to his promise of knocking out his opponent in the fifth round, the strategy he adopted by weakening him from round one paid off as he pummelling his opponent to submission.
“My initial plan was to end the fight before the fifth round, but my opponent, whom I would describe as an experienced fighter, avoided my knockout blows, which prompted me to revert to weakening his ribs and other parts of his body, which paid off with his not answering the bell for the seventh round,” the teenager said.
Baddo, who said that the title is a stepping stone to winning more laurels, commended the President of De-Lads Boxing Promotion, Alhaji Waheed Wasiu Alabi, for investing in the game, noting that he has given talented youths hope through his involvement in boxing promotion.
“This title is just a stepping stone to my winning more titles in the future because I believe I have the qualities of Rocky Marciano, Azumah Nelson, Manny Pacquiao, Sugar Ray Leonard, Iron Mike Tyson, and Anthony Joshua to become the undisputed champions of the world,” he stressed.
All the fights were sanctioned by the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control and sponsored by Bet9ja Foundation and Startimes.
Promoter of the fight, Alhaji Waheed Alabi, expressed happiness that the 9th edition of the promotions ended successfully with an international title fight, promising that the 10th edition will be more glamorous, explaining that with what his promotional outfit is doing in both amateur and professional boxing, the country will soon have more fighters having a crack at the various continental and world titles.
NBBofC General Secretary Remi Aboderin also praised the young boxer and De-Lads boxing promotions, saying, “What the teenager has done is very impressive, and we will encourage him to keep his eye on the ball.
“We thank De-Lads for their continued involvement in helping develop boxing in the country, and we at the NBBofC will continue to support all.”
In the other fights of the action-filled night, Akeem Olayiwola recorded a unanimous points decision win over Williams Amosu in their light-welterweight contest, while Segun Adeyemi defeated Semiu Olapade by seventh round TKO in another light-welterweight fight, just as Ezekiel Seun had a 2-1 split decision victory against Agboola Durotimi in their super-bantamweight bout.
The super-featherweight fight between Ojo Arabambi and Akanji Moruf saw the latter winning by a unanimous decision, while the light-welterweight fight between Emmanuel Abimbola and Isaac Chukwudi ended in a draw. Another draw was also recorded in the light-welterweight contest between Adeshina Oluwatosin and Sulaimon Hammed, with Taiwo Olowu having the fastest fight of the night when he knocked out Yakubu Faruq in the first round of their National Light Welterweight Challenge contest.
Highlights of the night were the presentation of a cheque for N500,000 to Mistura Idowu, who won the Bet9ja Foundation trophy for the best amateur boxer, and amazing gifts from the official broadcaster, Startimes.
