Boxers fight for three titles at De Lads’ event

Three boxing titles will be contested at the 14th edition of De-Lads Boxing Promotion’s Battle of the Ages series, called ‘No Reconciliation’. This event will take place at the NIS Gymnasium in Lagos on September 26. The night will showcase seven professional fights and one celebrity match, all approved by the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control.

The main event is a rematch between Ridwan “Sojar Boy” Oyekola and Tosin “Scorpion” Osaigbovo. They will fight for the WBA Africa Gold lightweight title over 10 rounds. Other title fights include a WBA Africa lightweight contest between Idowu Rasheed and Ghana’s Benjamin Tetteh. There is also a national middleweight title fight with Damilare Arowolo facing unbeaten Azeem Bakare.

The undercard features Ahmed Lawal against Sodiq Oyakojo for the national lightweight challenge. Saheed Abdullahi will take on Abdul-Afeez Oshoba for the national welterweight challenge. Rilwan Babatunde faces Michael Ani for the national super-welterweight challenge. Uzoukwu Cadet will fight Omejeh Chimaobi in a heavyweight bout. The celebrity fight will see Kelvin Power go against a bodybuilder known as Viper.

At the press conference, Dr Rafiu Oladipo, President of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, said professional boxing has become one of Nigeria’s top two sports over the past five years. He noted that boxing had previously struggled for attention. “In the last five years, boxing has thrived and has become one of the top two sports in Nigeria. That is professional boxing,” he said.

Oladipo praised De-Lads promotion for investing in young boxers. He said this helps keep them off the streets. He encouraged the fighters on the card to take their careers seriously. He expressed hope that Nigeria would produce Commonwealth and world champions. He also mentioned that the board’s support for promoters has led to more boxing events in the country.

“We did our bit, and now we see boxing events every week, and on occasions, two events took place in one day. That’s because the NBBofC have created a space of support for the promoters, and this has helped to secure the future of Nigeria, as the youths who box are the future of Nigeria,” he said. He described De-Lads as one of the promotions the board is committed to supporting.

Alhaji Waheed, Promoter and CEO of De-Lads Boxing Promotion, said the event has grown with each edition. “As you can see, from every edition we are progressing and we are keeping the growth going. Although at every event, we try to correct the mistakes of the previous one,” he said. He added that they have hired more security personnel to address issues from past events. The fights will be streamed on at least three platforms, with more to come before the fight night.

Remi Aboderin, Secretary-General of the NBBofC, promised fans a fantastic night. “The fans can look forward to an amazing time at the NIS Gymnasium. We also have arrangements made for the livestream. If you are not able to buy tickets, you can stream as well. It will be an electric night to remember with entertaining bouts,” he said.

Before the fights, some boxers exchanged words at the press conference. Lawal, known as ‘Small Tyson’, said his fight would not go the distance. He insisted he would let his fists speak for him. Oyakojo, called ‘Golden Boy’, dismissed the threat and promised to show why he deserves that nickname. Abdullahi claimed he has the speed and strength to challenge the more experienced Oshoba. Oshoba countered that experience is the best teacher.

Babatunde, nicknamed ‘Babyface’, said he is a man of few words and prefers to let the ring do the talking. His opponent, Ani, said he came from Onitsha for business, not for show. Arowolo promised to fight hard against his unbeaten rival, Bakare, who said he is not afraid of the challenge.

The celebrity bout has created buzz, with Power claiming Viper owes him N1.5m and has not kept a promise to repay based on the fight’s outcome. Power said his rival skipped the pre-fight conference. In a bit of trash talk, Rasheed took a jab at Tetteh, his Ghanaian opponent. He described himself as a knockout fighter and warned Tetteh to be careful, mentioning an earlier win over another Ghanaian boxer as proof of his skills.

The event is sponsored by the Bet9ja Foundation, Fearless, LSSC, and other partners.