In 1985, Bash Ali made history as the first cruiserweight boxing champion out of Africa. 34 years after achieving that feat, the Nigerian is set to walk into the ring once again – and this time he’s looking to enter the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest boxer to challenge for a world title.
63-year-old Ali hasn’t competed professionally for more than a decade now. Although the odds are against him, given his long absence and age, he’s determined to take on a yet-to-be-identified American boxer in a bid to clinch that world record.
According to Daily Trust, he’s been planning and training for this for the past 16 years, but couldn’t make any headway until yesterday when the sports minister, Solomon Dalung, set up a local organizing committee for the fight, which will take place somewhere in Nigeria.
Speaking about his readiness, Ali is quoted as saying:
“I will shock the world. I am still in top shape. Win or lose, my name will still go down in history as the oldest boxer to have climbed into the ring and fought for a world title.”
Aside from the fact that Ali will be fighting to reestablish himself as one of the biggest boxers in the world, we’re also anxious to see the fight because of an earlier projection that it will attract a revenue of about $500 million (over N179 billion).
–konbini.com
