Agbeko declines World title chance - Moves up in weight

Ghana’s former International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight champion, Joseph King Kong Agbeko, is looking forward to another world title chance as a super-bantamweight early next year after rejecting two opportunities in the bantamweight division.

Agbeko, who has relocated to the United States over the past month for training and a possible fight contract, said he turned down two different world title chances “because they were bantamweight fights”.

Speaking from his base in New York, Agbeko said: “It is always difficult to make the bantamweight; I have to drain myself of everything and it affects me in the ring during fights.”

Instead, the 32-year-old boxer is bracing up to fight either old foe Abner Mares of Mexico or Panama’s Anselmo Moreno after the pair’s October 13 bout for the World Boxing Association (WBA) super-bantamweight title scheduled for New York.

Alternatively, he could fight either IBF super-bantamweight champion, Nonito Donaire, or Japanese Toshiaka Nishioka who are billed for a showdown for Donaire’s belt at the Home Depot Centre in Carson, California, also on October 13.

“I am really looking forward to my next big fight here in America,” the two-time IBF world champion said.

“I had two world title chances earlier, but I had to turn them down because they were bantamweight fights.”

Indeed, one of those fights was a match-up with Moreno for the WBA bantamweight title. Like, Mares who claimed the title from Agbeko, Moreno has moved up in weight.

“In any case, most of the bantamweights of my generation have moved up in weight; it’s a natural progression, and I have to obey nature,” the Ghanaian said.

Agbeko lost his bantamweight title to Mares last year – first under controversial circumstances in August before Mares dominated him in the rubber match.

He hinted after the second loss that he would move up in weight as challenges of making the bantamweight became more difficult.