The Garden City of Kumasi is set to be rocked by boxing on the night of April 22 when the ‘Rumble in Oseikrom’ championships featuring a total of seven bouts takes centre stage.
The overlord of Kumasi, Asantehene Osei Tutu II himself is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour at the Baba Yara Stadium when the prides of Kumasi Sarfo Tyson and Kojo Issah vie to win WBO Africa Interim titles against Nigerian and Togolese opponents respectively.
Sarfo Tyson who apparently has a knockout record like his famous American namesake has sworn to stop Ola Jumbo in their WBO Africa Interim Lightweight contest, same as Kojo Issah who also promises a knockout win over Togo’s Kofi Dosseh in a clash for WBO Africa Interim Lightweight title. Another WBO Africa Interim title fight is the Super Bantamweight championship is an all-Ghanaian affair between Alfred Tetteh and Michael Barnor.
Sanctioned and approved by the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), the ‘Rumble in Oseikrom’ bill is a step to relaunch boxing not just in Kumasi but extend it to other regions as well instead of the usual focus just on Accra.
“Kumasi used to be a big centre for boxing producing champions like Jomo Jackson alias Bosue, Awudu Tanzabell, Awudu Kampala, Thomas Dodoo among many others. We want to take boxing to the other regions because there are lots of talents to identify, nurture and push for world titles,” Samir Captan, President of GBA has told All Sports of the vision behind their collaboration with Union Sports Promotions and Ghacal Group Inc.
Other featured fights on the bill include Abdul Malik Jabir against Ben Tutu for Ghana and West Africa Super Featherweight title, Super Featherweight contest between George Ashie and a yet to be announced Senegalese opponent, Theophilus Tetteh versus Nigeria’s Kola Abingola in a Super Welterweight clash and Mbawumia Sola of Kumasi facing John Sampandoe of Accra.
Special side attraction will be reigning World Professional Boxing Federation (WBPF) and WBO Africa Interim Light Heavyweight champion Braimah Banku famously called Bukom Banku. :