Bout-fixing threatens Ghana’s boxing future – Boham

The incidence of fixed bouts is on the rise in Ghana’s boxing arena, Yoofi Boham, a renowned boxing promoter, has observed.

This situation, according to him, threatens the future of Ghanaian boxers on the international stage.

His comments dovetail into concerns raised by some industry players about the numerous one-sided bouts being recorded lately owing to sub-standard boxers in the ring. The situation, he said, needed to be addressed immediately if the country is to harness the full potential of Ghanaian boxers.

Mr Boham, speaking in an interview with Class Sports’ Kwame Dwomoh-Agyemang, said: “These days everything has taken a different turn. Here are some boxers who go through their fights in a convenient manner. How can a boxer fight and pay for the fight that he is fighting whereby he will, at all cost, be declared the winner? How then can we say he has a future? They even pay to be on the bill and it is something which has come to stay in Ghana boxing.”

To that end, he urged his colleague boxing promoters in Ghana to desist from such action and introduce the best boxers in order to elevate the competitive nature of the bouts, which in the end, will give investors value for their money.

“Sometimes, some opponents are brought and you ask whether they were garden boys because they exhibit nothing close to boxing. Bring in credible boxers to fight credible fights and win honourable fights, fights that will propel them to greater heights, but it’s not happening so and it’s evidence all over. How many times do we hear our boxers winning fights outside? Most of them when they go, they come back with losses,” he added.