Knockout specialist, Ehwarieme eyes Edo 2020 Sports Festival crown

After his historic victory against Argentine’s Ariel Baracamonte in their World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental heavyweight title fight in Lagos on December 28, Onoriode Ehwarieme, has shifted his focus to kickboxing, where he hopes to grab another crown in this year’s National Sports Festival holding in Edo State.

Ehwarieme, a native of Oghara, Delta State needed just one minute and 60 seconds to knock out the visiting Argentine boxer, Ariel Baracamonte at GOtv Boxing Night 20 to pick up the WBF Intercontinental heavyweight title in style.

Before the battle of TBS in Lagos late last year, Ehwarieme had recorded 17 knockout victories in 18 fights. Many boxing fans in Lagos still talk about his vicious blows, which knocked out the Argentine boxer in the first round of their 12-round fight.

A staff of Delta Sports Council since 2004, Ehwarieme had won two National Sports Festival medals in kickboxing for the state in two separate appearances, Garden City 2011 and Eko 2012.

Speaking with The Guardian yesterday, the athlete, who started his career as a boxer in 2003 in Sapele, revealed that his aim was to win a gold medal for Team Delta in this year’s National Sports Festival tagged Edo 2020.

Ehwarieme said: “I got a silver medal at Garden City 2011 National Sports Festival, and a year later, I fought at the Eko 2012, where I won the gold medal in kickboxing. I will be available for Team Delta at Edo 2020, and my target is the gold medal in kickboxing.

Speaking further, he said: “I went to the National Sports Festival, Abuja 2004 and won a gold medal. In 2005, I went to the National Championship and I won gold. I also went to the National Championship in 2006 and won the gold medal,” he stated.  
 
Ehwarieme, popularly known as Godzilla by boxing fans across the globe, was part of Team Nigeria to Beijing 2008 Olympics Games in China. He also participated in the first Boxing World Cup in Moscow, Russia in 2008, where he was ranked number eight in world.