Godday Appah has received his WBO Africa cruiserweight title belt following his split decision victory over Ezra Arenyeka in the Chaos in the Ring Peace Fight on May 1, with the presentation ceremony held in Lagos on Thursday.
The bout had been billed as a symbolic Peace Fight between the Itsekiri and Ijaw communities of the Niger Delta, and Appah was full of praise for Balmoral Group after receiving his belt, highlighting what he described as a new era for Nigerian boxing.
“I am so happy to be holding this title. You can see the level of care Balmoral promotion shows the boxers and now we work and fight and get our millions here because DAZN is in our house. We get paid and get more famous and can also motivate other youngsters to follow us into this boxing career,” Appah told The PUNCH.
Speaking with journalists at the ceremony, Balmoral Group Promotions Chief Executive Officer Ezekiel Adamu outlined the organisation’s ambitions for Nigerian boxing, saying their primary goal was to place local fighters on the world stage.
“Coming into the game, the first thing we have to do is to elevate the level of production when it comes to the event in arenas to look as if they are fighting in Vegas,” Adamu said.
He revealed that the promotion’s strategy began with signing established and emerging talents, starting with Basit ‘Jokerboy’ Adebayo, current Nigeria Youth champion, WBO Africa Champion and WBO International Youth Champion, before bringing in WBA Africa champion Taiwo ‘Esepo’ Agbaje, already a known name in the industry.
“The next phase for us now is talent development. We can’t do everything at once. We now have the global visibility here and we got this by leveraging on entertainers and hosting celebrity boxing fights. We got two billion views and 4.2 billion impressions overall,” he said.
Adamu added that the organisation’s biggest dream remained hosting a world championship fight in Nigeria.
“The biggest dream is to host a world championship fight here in Nigeria and also let our Nigerian boxers be kings here and dictate how much they charge for fights,” he said.
WBA Africa champion Agbaje, who joined Balmoral after a stint in London, said the platform had given him the exposure he had long sought.
“This is the right platform to help me get the big belts, to become a world champion. After trying all in London, I know Balmoral can help me achieve that from here. I love this setup and the spotlight I get from here. Balmoral has a great platform and they showcase all my talents all over the world,” Agbaje said.
Adebayo, whose performances under the Balmoral banner have drawn widespread attention, said the platform had transformed public perception of him.
“Many people said they didn’t know I could fight like this, that they thought I was just doing rubbish. But now I have gotten this great chance and they see me, and they know I am heading for greatness,” he said.
Boxing manager Osazee Bazuaye of N Effect Mode Limited also praised the promotion’s impact, noting that Balmoral had taken fighters to levels beyond their own expectations.
“We have not combed through all the talents in Lagos enough but we are doing our best to expand our search into Abuja and other territories. Balmoral has taken these boxers into levels they have not even dreamt of before,” Bazuaye said.
The title presentation on Thursday was preceded by the Chaos in the Ring 4 event at the Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on May 1, a night that also featured a much-talked-about celebrity boxing clash in which skitmaker Carter Efe defeated singer Habeeb ‘Portable’ Badmus by unanimous decision.
Adebayo also claimed a WBO Africa title on the night with a unanimous decision victory over former WABU champion Loren Japhet.
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