Even before the first bell, Zambia’s Patrick “Baddo” Chinyemba and Ghana’s Theo “Lopez” Allotey are trading barbs outside the ring ahead of tonight’s eight-round IBA Africa flyweight title fight at the Adwa Museum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The highly anticipated showdown between Chinyemba and Allotey headlines a star-studded seven bout card featuring boxers from Zambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Morocco, Mexico, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, DR Congo and Tanzania.
This is the first ever IBA Champions Night show takes place in Africa. It’s been organised by the International Boxing Association in conjunction with the Africa Boxing Confederation (AFBC).
After losing twice to Chinyemba, Allotey is not convinced he lost fairly. First he was beaten by Chinyemba in last year’s Men’s World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan making his international debut and in the semi-finals of the African Games in Accra, Ghana. He settled for bronze and Chinyemba won gold.
“All the two fights Chinyemba did not beat me, I don’t think he won fairly,” Allotey told me in Addis Ababa during Friday’s weight-in and medical check-up.
“I will beat him this time to prove to him I’m the real champion of Africa, to me Chinyemba is not a good boxer.
“I don’t intend to knock him out, I will just punish him in all rounds but when I get the chance to knock him out I will do so.”
Chinyemba, normally calm by nature and soft-spoken, played down Allotey’s threats.
“He’s just giving himself imaginary confidence, Ghanaians are noisemakers outside the ring, he’s a small boy to me in the ring let him continue barking,” Chinyemba said at the Grand Eliana Hotel where all the boxers are putting up.
The 22-year-old Chinyemba, who’s also Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and gold medal winner at the 2022 Africa Elite Championships in Maputo, is the first and the only African boxer so far to have won a fight in the Champions Night. He made a forceful debut last year in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe outpointing Russian Artur Nagapetian in a six rounder. He’s being guided by his long-time coaches Wisdom Mudenda who’s also the national team head coach and Ariel Banda. The latter started imparting boxing knowledge to young Chinyemba in 2011 at the famous Exodus Boxing Academy in Lusaka.
Allotey is in Addis Ababa with Ghana’s national team head coach and Technical Director Dr Ofori Asare of the popular Wisdom Gym in Accra.
Asare has handled Allotey for several years, and says this time around Chinyemba is in for a big surprise.
“I’m confident Allotey will beat Chinyemba, he’s a strong boy,” said Asare.
Allotey turned pro last year under Wisdom Boxing Promotion, and in his first fight he stopped Nigeria’s Isaac Adu Manti in the fifth round. He then TKO’d Togo’s Mumuni Sawado in the second round and in his third fight, he knocked out Ghana’s Martin Ahedekey in the fifth round with a digging body shot. The two first fights were scheduled for six rounds and the second one eight rounds.
Allotey feels he has an edge over Chinyemba because he is already a professional boxer.
“Oh yeah I do have the advantage over him but really it’s not about advantage, that’s not important.What I know is that Chinyemba is not a good boxer like me, the IQ that I have in boxing is far ahead of his. So how can he defeat me when we’re going long rounds?”
Source: AFBC Communications
