Nigeria’s Olaide Fijabi will now fight Tanzania’s Shadrack Kobero for the vacant African Boxing Union (ABU) light welterweight title at GOtv Boxing Night 13 scheduled to hold on 26 December at Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. Kobero was, on Sunday, approved by the ABU to replace Kenya’s Michael Odhiambo, who has been forced to pull out of the contest by a wrist injury suffered in training.
Kobero, an equally experienced boxer, is 24 years old, has had 14 fights, winning eight by knockout. He will be meeting Fijabi, another knockout specialist, in a fight that promises to be explosive. Speaking from his base in Dar es Salam, capital of Tanzania, Kobero said he has been training and hoping for a chance to fight before the end of the year.
“I am happy for this opportunity and I am sure of making it count. Fijabi will be meeting his master. I am not coming to Nigeria for a vacation. I am coming to win,” he said.
The event will feature six other fights, including the ABU lightweight title between Nigeria’s Oto Joseph and Egyptian champion, Abdulrahim Ahmed. Abolaji Rasheed will defend his West African Boxing Union title against Arye Ayitteh of Ghana, while Rilwan Babatunde will seek to win the national lightweight title when he takes on Chijioke Ngige.
Also in the lightweight category, Jimoh “Hogan Jimoh Jnr” Lukman will face Rilwan Opatola, while Rilwan Oladosu will square up with Kehinde Badmus. In the middleweight division, Matthew Obinna will clash with David Awosika.
Tickets for the event are available online at ariiyatickets.com, SLOT and Ebeano Supermarket outlets, Freedom Park and the National Stadium. There will be free bus rides for ticket-holding fans from the National Stadium to the event venue and back to the stadium at the end of the show.
The best boxer at the event will go home with N2.5million, while the runners-up will win N1million and N500,000 respectively.
