|
It's been really difficult but
at the same time extremely
satisfying to deal with the huge
amount of fights coming up, and
the vast majority of promoters
wanting to work with us. Perhaps
this signifies our professional
and sincere approach to develop
boxing and to create
opportunities for talented and
world class fighters worldwide.
Namibia and Ghana are our latest
partners from the African
continent, adding to South
Africa, Botswana and Cameroon.
Namibia's finest amateur star
Joseph Hilongwe, a man
who turned professional late in
his career and who ran up an
amateur record of 115 wins
against 9 defeats, gets the
opportunity to fight for our
vacant flyweight title.
Ghana intend staging two world
title fights to start in
May, with a proposed three more
later in the year. Ghana boxing
has produced some of the finest
fighters of all time. I remember
having coffee with the great
Azumah Nelson in Belfast,
Northern Island a decade ago,
when he spoke about the untapped
talent in Ghana. Hopefully the
World Boxing Federation will
help to untap this great talent.
At around the same time,
discussions are taking place for
Albanian hero, Kreshnick Qato to
defend his title in his hometown
of Tirana, Albania. The fight
date still to be confirmed, will
hopefully coincide with our
first ever convention in
Albania.
Of course our super middleweight
king William Gare of South
Africa, and number 15 on boxrec
has it all to do against the
lethal puncher from Ghana,
James Obede Toney who comes in
with 23 wins and 3 losses with
19 wins by knockout, this one
scheduled for early April. Also
in April former two times world
champion Hawk Makepula takes on
the young superstar Lbubalo
Msutu our bantamweight
champ. This is sure to be a war.
But the fight that the world is
talking about is our heavyweight
world champion Francois Botha
against the ageless Evander
Holyfield. A fight of this
magnitude deserves nothing less
than Las Vegas, and that's
exactly where it is going.
Botha has much to prove after
his indifferent showing against
Pedro Carrion while Holyfield
will surely enter as the crowd's
favourite.
While we are so busy, we will
still never lose sight of the
fact that boxing is bigger than
all of us - and that it deserves
quality, honesty, integrity and
excitement. We will endeavour
to pursue, as we have and as we
will continue, those very
qualities in everything we do.
See you in Vegas!!
Until next time, keep boxing.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing
Federation
|
