Boxing News of Friday, 16 May 2003

Source: GNA Sports

Long absence in ring would not affect me

Raymond Narh, the national super featherweight Champion has said that his long absence from the ring would not in anyway affect his performance when he returns to the ring next month.

Narh told the GNA Sports in an interview that even though he has been inactive for over one year, he has not rested at all as he trains every day to make sure he is in good shape.

He said a lot of fights have been arranged for him ever since he won the national championship in Februay 2002, but all his opponents declined to face him, leading to his inactivity.

The champion who is scheduled to face a South African opponent, Kaiser Mabuzo in a Lightweight contest in Accra on June 13, said he has not got much information on the South African but was optimistic he would finish him off within the distance.

Narh who would now be fighting on new boxing promotion syndicate called Jumus Boxing Promotion after parting ways with Prince and Baseline Promotion and his British manager Al Hmailton, said Mabuzo would not last the full 12 rounds because he is poised to stage a great comeback into the ring and take his career to another high.

On his future plans, Narh who has seven wins in as many fights and as many knockouts said his promoters are making arrangements for him to fight Malik Jabir in August.

Malik has persistently thrown an open challenge to the champion, claiming that he would stop Narh if he dared accepted to fight him.

The champion said, "whether the fights comes on or not I would be travelling to the USA to continue with my boxing career.

Narh called on all his admirers, as well as all boxing fans to throng the stadium to see him demolish his South African opponent.

On his part, Joseph Agbeko, the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Super batamweight champion who had also been inactive for some time now, predicted a knock-out victory against his opponent on the night of the "fist of fury".

The Ghanaian who would face Cedric Conway from South Africa under the Jumus Boxing Promotion Syndicate has expressed optimism that the night would present another opportunity to re-lunch his career.

Agbeko said though he had been inactive for some time, he had been offered an opportunity by the former WBA Welterweight champion Ike Quartey who has identified his capabilities and promised to do whatever it takes to be the victor on June 13.

He said "To me I'm born to win and since defeat is not my destiny, I have the strongest conviction that I would beat my opponents on the night."

According to the promoters, the bout would be elevated to a championship level before June 13, as they are arranging with African Boxing Union (ABU) to that effect.

Conway, a former bantamweight champion of South Africa hashad 15 fights to his credit, winning 12 and losing three.

Other boxers scheduled to fight on the same night are Alfred Tetteh and Mohamed Laryea for the national and West African Super batamweight championship and Sumaila Badu and Galley Cudjoe for the national and West African Flyweight bout.