Former world heavyweight boxing title contender, Ike ‘the President’ Ibeabuchi, will make his return to the ringed square in December after years of incarceration in the United States when he takes on Sammy Abdalla of Egypt.
The return of the undefeated Ibeabuchi, who was touted as the next big thing in boxing before his unfortunate incarceration, is expected to attract the attention of the boxing world who will want to see if the Nigerian still has the fire to challenge the best in the heavyweight class now dominated by Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, among others.
The fight is one of the bouts billed for December 7 when Zeus Sports and Entertainment hosts its first boxing show in Port Harcourt featuring top fighters from Nigeria and other countries, the main event being a WBF World title fight.
Former WBF Intercontinental featherweight champion, Taiwo Agbaje, will headline the card when he fights for the WBF featherweight world title in the main event.
In a female bout, Nigeria’s pride and former WBC Super Featherweight Silver Champion and IBO International Super Featherweight champion, Elizabeth Osoba, will go to war against Egypt’s Hargar Mohammed.
Other notable fights will see former WBO International light middleweight champion, King Davidson, taking on Ayman Mohammed of Egypt and former national and West Africa light heavyweight champion, Jude ‘Great Jude’ Iloh, will face Lando Henriques of Angola.
There will be 10 bouts in all including undercard bouts involving fighters from Rivers State.
The card, tagged “Simplified Rumble in Rivers for Champions,” has continued to gain acceptance, support and endorsement from key stakeholders in the state.
CEO of Zeus Sports, Mr Emmanuel Emenogu, has been going round the state to promote the event billed for the Alfred Diete Spiff Sports Complex.
In a recent courtesy call on the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Tom, a boxing lover, the monarch threw his weight behind the event, while expressing his love for the sport.
The first class traditional ruler signed the biggest world boxing glove used in promotion of the big event and accepted to be the patron.
Former Nigeria international goalkeeper, Peterside Idah, also endorsed the event after signing the promotional Biggest Boxing Glove and said, “I’m crazy about boxing… from my younger days I followed world boxing championships from the time of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazer, Leon Spinks and
others, we’ve gone all through this process.
“It’s a beautiful sport for men. I know women fight these days and I totally support it. It’s gonna bring something new to Port Harcourt, something new to our state,” Peterside said.
The organisers said that apart from the fights in the ring, many local and international celebrities, including Finidi George, Jay Jay Okocha, Flavour and Burna Boy, among others, will also be at the ring side.
