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Boxing News of Tuesday, 2 March 2004

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Jabir and Akaba set to rumble on March 6.

Abdul Malik Jabir and Osmanu Akaba are set to rumble in the ring on Independence Day, March 6, as they battle for the World Boxing Council (WBC) International Featherweight Title at the Accra Sports Stadium.

Jumus Boxing Promotion Syndicate, organizers of the bout on Tuesday presented the two boxers together with other boxers on the bill at a press conference in Accra.

The promotion, which includes five other bouts are expected to be one of the biggest boxing events in the year following the caliber of boxers on stage.

Both Jabir and Akaba promised at the press conference to give boxing fans their monies worth for the night and vowed to outdo each other in the Saturday special anniversary bout.

Jabir, former National and West African Super Bantamweight Champion described his opponent as his son and promised to end the fight in the third round.

He said he had trained so hard for the fight and would be out to teach Akaba a boxing lesson on Saturday, adding "there is no way Akaba can stand me since I am poised to repeat the dose".

With a record of 12 fights, nine wins and three loses, the former Super Bantamweight champion said, he had reached an advanced level of his career and is aiming at the big guns and that he would use Akaba as the launching pad for the big stage.

Akaba on the other hand called off the bluff of his opponent expressing confidence of annexing the title.

"I think Jabir is making so much noise and I am going to silence him come Saturday", Akaba stated.

The cool and collective boxer though failed to make any prediction of the fight as his opponent expressed conviction that the title will surely rest in his house after Saturday.

Commenting on his seemingly delicate face, which has been his bane of weakness in previous fights, Akaba, proud winner of 13 fights out of 14, and one loss, said his doctors have done a good job towards that direction, adding that " the problem is now behind me and Saturday will surely prove that.'

He assured all his fans to troop to the stadium in their numbers to cheer him onto victory.

Other boxers on the bill are Osmanu Yahaya, Commonwealth Welterweight Champion, who will take on Agoe Ashong in a ten round welterweight contest, while Philip Kotey will face Jamiru Tyson from Nigeria in a ten round International Welterweight contest. The rest are Barimah Kamoko known as "Bukom banku" taking on Olubi Severin from Benin in an International Lightweight Contest while Ben Odametey sorts things out with Ali Alabi from Cape Coast. Two females boxers, Amerley Turkson and Gifty D' Tiger will also engage in a super lightweight contest on the bill.