Much has been made about Braimah “Bukom Banku” Kamoko and his first defeat but what about the man that handed it to him? It’s time to introduce the world to Bastie Samir.
Bastie “The Beast” Samir is 16-0-1 (15 KO’s) and by far Ghana’s best fighter above 135lbs. Last Saturday was the first time many Ghanaians watched him throw down. What they witnessed was a well-conditioned, hard-hitting boxer-puncher who works behind an excellent jab and is willing to take a couple shots in order to land his own. And he often fires in combination—the left hook that caught Banku square on the chin and finished him off was initially set up by a beautiful left hook to the body.
At 31-years-old, Bastie Samir is beginning to fulfill the potential he showed as the captain of Ghana’s amateur boxing team when he represented the country during the 2008 Summer Olympics as a light heavyweight.
As a pro, Samir caught the eye of legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya, who signed him to his Golden Boy Promotions stable. This background proves Samir is no fluke. But what can he do for an encore?
“Boxing is becoming more popular and as a boxer you need to have a respectable image,” said Samir trainer Ofosu Asare. “You need to lead because the youth will copy what you do and Bukom Banku does not have those traits, so I believe by defeating him we will take that impression of ‘the idol of Ghana boxing’ from him.”
Samir has a long way to go before capturing the hearts of Ghanaians. A rematch versus Banku is likely. There are also other potential opponents, such as veteran Charles Adamu and undefeated John Napari. Both would make for interesting matchups although neither would draw the kind of coin Banku nets.
But the key for Bastie Samir is to continue winning. So far, he’s done a pretty good job of that.
