It’s been really difficult but at the same time extremely satisfying to deal with the huge amount of fights coming up, and the vast majority of promoters wanting to work with us. Perhaps this signifies our professional and sincere approach to develop boxing and to create opportunities for talented and world class fighters worldwide.
Namibia and Ghana are our latest partners from the African continent, adding to South Africa, Botswana and Cameroon. Namibia’s finest amateur star Joseph Hilongwe, a man who turned professional late in his career and who ran up an amateur record of 115 wins against 9 defeats, gets the opportunity to fight for our vacant flyweight title.
Ghana intend staging two world title fights to start in May, with a proposed three more later in the year. Ghana boxing has produced some of the finest fighters of all time. I remember having coffee with the great Azumah Nelson in Belfast, Northern Island a decade ago, when he spoke about the untapped talent in Ghana. Hopefully the World Boxing Federation will help to untap this great talent.
At around the same time, discussions are taking place for Albanian hero, Kreshnick Qato to defend his title in his hometown of Tirana, Albania. The fight date still to be confirmed, will hopefully coincide with our first ever convention in Albania.
Of course our super middleweight king William Gare of South Africa, and number 15 on boxrec has it all to do against the lethal puncher from Ghana, James Obede Toney who comes in with 23 wins and 3 losses with 19 wins by knockout, this one scheduled for early April. Also in April former two times world champion Hawk Makepula takes on the young superstar Lbubalo Msutu our bantamweight champ. This is sure to be a war.
But the fight that the world is talking about is our heavyweight world champion Francois Botha against the ageless Evander Holyfield. A fight of this magnitude deserves nothing less than Las Vegas, and that’s exactly where it is going. Botha has much to prove after his indifferent showing against Pedro Carrion while Holyfield will surely enter as the crowd’s favourite.
While we are so busy, we will still never lose sight of the fact that boxing is bigger than all of us – and that it deserves quality, honesty, integrity and excitement. We will endeavour to pursue, as we have and as we will continue, those very qualities in everything we do.
See you in Vegas!!
Until next time, keep boxing.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing Federation
