One of Ghana’s best amateur boxers is on the verge of turning pro.
On Wednesday, 20-year-old Daniel Selassie Gosh signed a three-year managerial pact with L&B Management Syndicate as he prepares to make his professional debut at bantamweight in December.
“I am very happy to have penned down a managerial contract to commence my professional career,” Gosh told BoxingAfrica.com. “The dream is to become a world champion and it starts from this moment of my career.”
No word yet on exact date or opponent as sporting events are still disallowed in Ghana due to the current pandemic. Nevertheless, his signing is a coup for L&B. The US-based outfit launched earlier this year. Gosh is their first client.
“Gosh is a very good fighter who needs the right nurturing and support to make him great,” said L&B Principal Team Director Peter Nash Quarcoo during a conversation with BoxingAfrica.com. “We have been monitoring him for a very long time and he has really impressed us with his abilities.”
Born in Ghana to a Liberian father and Ghanaian mother, Gosh first caught the attention of the Ghana boxing world when he began training out of the Bronx Boxing Club in Accra at age eight.
Twelve years later, he is a fixture there, honing his skills under the watchful eye of gym owner and world class trainer, Lawrence Carl Lokko.
Lokko is no stranger to the development process, having guided former world champion Richard Commey—among others—from the moment he discovered boxing to his first world title shot.
Gosh is his latest prodigy. The Jamestown product looks the part thus far, participating in the limited amateur tournaments in Ghana and amassing a 48-2 amateur record.
“He has everything a boxer needs to make it in the sport,” said Lokko to BoxingAfrica.com during the signing. “He can box, he has power, and he can take punches as well. I’m still working on him but with the qualities he possesses, I believe he will go far.”
Those attributes are why L&B believe Gosh can win a strap in a short amount of time.
“The plan is to make Gosh a world champion within two years,” said Quarcoo. “We are hopeful of achieving that in the coming years with the talent he possesses.”
Naturally, Lokko – who has a wealth of experience both nationally and on the world stage – doesn’t want to rush the process.
“I’m happy about the assurances by the managers to support Gosh to make him great but making him a world champion in two years might be too early for him,” said the trainer.
“The technical aspect of the sport is a very thing and we must take it once at a time. As his coach, I can say the focus is to target the national and African titles within two years before thinking about the world.”
Lokko believes that once Gosh has proven himself elite on the continental level, he’ll need further development abroad before challenging for a world title.
“We want to put him there by building his records with good and tested opponents before thinking about going in for the championships,” said Lokko.
“That is what would prepare him at the world stage when the time comes. He is a work in progress and with his talent he will achieve success.”
Gosh says he’s ready for whatever plan his handlers lay out for him.
“The focus now is to make an impact on my debut and I can’t wait to achieve that,” said Gosh. “I want to assure Ghanaians that I will put in my best to make everyone proud. I know it’s not going to be easy but with focus I know I will get there.”
