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When undefeated Rachid Jkitou
takes on American Shawn Miller
for the vacant World Boxing
Federation (WBF) World Light
Heavyweight title on Saturday
April 8 at the Mazagan Beach &
Golf Resort in Marrakesh,
Morocco, he is fighting for much
more than himself.
After winning a couple of
regional titles, Jkitou, 24-0
(17), is obviously very keen to
personally reach new heights by
becoming world champion, but
first and foremost it is his
mission to make his Moroccan
countrymen proud, and help
elevate boxing in his
birth-country.
“I
want to win the WBF World title,
and proudly raise the Moroccan
flag in victory”, Jkitou
recently told local media.
“Making my country and its
people proud is extremely
important to me, and hopefully I
will help make the sport even
more popular here.”
But Jkitou is well aware that
Shawn Miller, 15-3-1 (5), will
be a tough obstacle to get by.
The 35-year-old from Troy, New
York lost a close challenge of
then WBF world champion Tony
Averlant in 2015, and has had
plenty of time to prepare for
his second shot at glory.
“I
have watched many videos of
Miller, and I know what he is
all about”, said Jkitou. “Just
like me, he is a come-forward
fighter, so it is sure to be a
lively and good fight. Of course
I cant underestimate him, and I
am expecting a war in the ring.
I am prepared for it!”
Turning professional at
twenty-one in 2007, Jkitou based
his career in France where he
had nineteen of his first twenty
bouts and won the national Super
Middleweight title. But in
recent years he has returned to
his roots, and this will be his
fifth straight outing in
Morocco.
Shawn Miller is a former WBF
North American Champion, a title
he won in 2013 and successfully
defended the following year
before coming up short against
Averlant in 2015. He has since
been waiting patiently for a new
opportunity, which he is
travelling all the way to
Morocco to get.
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