Kenya’s national heavyweight champion Morris Okolla is offering United States-based Raymond Ochieng aka King Kong a last chance as he seeks to embark on bigger projects in his pro-boxing career.
The former international is livid with King Kong for failing to take up several offers for his title defence.
Okolla, a product of the famous Dallas Muthurwa boxing ranks and younger brother of retired international Daniel Shisia, wants King Kong to “cut the crap” and come forward to prove his mettle.
Okolla, better known as ‘Maloso Maketho’ in boxing circles, was crowned the national heavyweight champion in 2015 with a majority points win over James Nyariki.
Okolla lost in his bid for the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) African heavyweight title against Ghanaian Richard Lartey at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Ghana. Lartey then got the chance of challenging for the WBO global heavyweight title which he lost to Briton Daniel Dubois last year.
“I have still not given up on him (King Kong). The guy is a coward. I been asking him for a fight since 2016 and he has never accepted. I’m asking him to come and prove that by challenging me for the heavyweight championship. People who understand boxing know him better and that he’s a businessman when it comes to boxing. He is just building records for others.”
Asked what he thinks of the would-be fight should it come to fruition, Okolla went on: “I honestly believe he will not last two rounds. I ’m a boxer and he’s a fighter. You know me very well from the days of the national team (Hit Squad). The boxing fraternity will bare me witness how much I have been craving for this King Kong fight.”
Meanwhile, Okolla has landed a shot at the Eastern Central Africa Championship title to add to his national success. “I’m supposed to fight a yet to be named Ugandan opponent in October for the East and Central heavyweight title and it would be good to go for it after defending my national title,” he said.
“It’s my hope that sports will have resumed by then. But plans are underway, so it’s a wait and see situation,” said Okolla who made his pro-boxing debut against Nyariki in 2011. Okola has since stretched his fight record to 11 wins (9 KOs), three loses with an impressive 64.29 per cent KO.
However, the mounting frustration of inactivity due to Covid-19 issues has prompted him to want to fight more. “I’m hungrier than ever before. I’m now training on my own in compliance with the Ministry of Health directive. This is to keep fit well in time, hoping that things get back to normal soonest.”
King Kong has over time clarified that he has not chickened out but just refused the offer due to “disrespectful amounts” for his purse against Okolla.
–the-star.co.ke
