Former national lightweight champion, Sheriff Quaye says the COVID-19 pandemic is the only obstacle hindering a dream ‘trilogy’ with his fiercest rival, Michael ‘One Bullet’ Ansah, who he vowed to give a beating of his life.
The two were scheduled for a third fight on May 30 after both had wins in their two previous encounters (Sheriff won first encounter while Ansah won the second), but the fight, a Commonwealth final eliminator, had been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
However, Sheriff in an interview with the Times Sports said they were optimistic about the return of boxing in September where he would quickly dispatch ‘One Bullet’ and focus on snatching titles on the continent and the world.
“Ansah is least of my problems; I am ready to face him and stop him like he did to me in our last meeting. I can’t wait for boxing to return to I achieve my aim,” he stated.
He said, Ansah who claimed to be hurt ahead of their last fight should have recovered now and be ready for the September showdown.
“He is no match for me and I just cannot understand how he won our second encounter. It was as if I went off and did not know what actually happened in the ring,” he explained.
He suspected Ansah of using black power (juju) for fights, adding that, “Ansah on a normal day cannot stand face to face with me in the ring and survive.”
“But this time, juju or no juju, I am working very hard to win whenever I meet Ansah,” he said.
“Boxing is more of training and adequate preparation and that is exactly what I am doing to beat him and get the nod to fight for the Commonwealth title. I would not allow Ansah to get ahead of me on that road,” he stressed.
With a better management team, he said, the sky would be his limit because he is a good boxer who is working very hard and ready to take the world by storm.
“I have to get a new manager to guide me well on my way to the top. My current management is not helping me in that regard. I am fed up of fighting for national titles and need to move up to the top. A good boxer like me cannot be fighting for national titles throughout,” he lamented.
He mentioned Alhaji Inusah, an experienced manager as the right person to guide him to achieve his world title ambitions by the end of next year and subsequently win the highest money fight for the country.
On the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, it has adversely affected boxers because their only means of survival has been halted and therefore called on government and the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) to come to their aid.
“We have not received any support from the GBA and government. We are really suffering and must be supported,” he stated.
Subsequently, he said, measures must be put in place for boxing to return as done in other parts of the world where boxers could fight behind closed doors.