GOtv Boxing Night returns with N20m prize monies

Prince Fatai (left) and Otto Joe Boy have been regular features at the GOtv Boxing Night, which 12th edition is slated to hold in Lagos…in September.

Africa’s premier professional boxing show, GOtv Boxing Night is set to return in a much bigger way, with participating boxers billed to earn up to N20 million in prize monies.

The 11th edition of the show held in Ibadan on March 26, delivered the biggest ever pay day in the country’s boxing history when Rilwan “Baby Face” Babatunde won the Mojisola Ogunsanya Memorial Trophy and a cash prize of N2 million for the best boxer, a shade higher than the N1.5 million and N1 million won by previous winners of the award.

GOtv Boxing Night 12 is tentatively slated to hold September in Lagos, while the 13th edition is billed for December 26.

The event organisers, Flykite Sports, disclosed that Chairman, GOtv Boxing Night, Mr. Adewunmi Ogunsanya has given them a mandate to speed up the event’s progress by ensuring that African and Commonwealth title fights are staged this year, while a world title fight will hold at the event next year.

“Our Chairman, Adewunmi Ogunsanya is passionate about the development of the sport and the personal growth of the boxers. He wants a situation where our top boxers can buy cars and homes from their purses,” a statement from the organisers said.

Towards the realisation of the mandate, Managing Director, Flykite Sports, Mr. Jenkins Alumona travelled abroad last week to seal agreements with top-tier international boxers in line with the direction GOtv Boxing Night is moving.

The details of Gotv Boxing Night 12 will be unveiled at a press conference in August, the organisers said.

The event is sponsored by GOtv, and supported by MultiChoice, Supersport, Paragonis Multimedia Limited, KSquare Security, Newsbreak.ng, Bond FM, Brila FM, and Complete Sports and is broadcast live in 47 African countries.

Since debuting three years, GOtv Boxing Night has rekindled public passion for boxing, with each edition held before a capacity crowd. Equally importantly, it has revamped the sport through better organisation and financing. The two elements have delivered swanky Las Vegas-style events and better motivated boxers, who earn 10 times what they once earned and are insured for every fight.

The boxers, who have since become local superstars, have inspired fledgling professional boxers to take the sport more seriously.