Boxing trainer Mzamo ‘Chief’ Njekanye believes that it’s going to be redemption time for his boxer Azinga ‘Golden Boy’ Fuzile when he fights early next month.
Fuzile is going to fight for the first time in front of his home fans in almost three years when he clashes with Ghanaian Ishmael Aryeetey at the Orient Theatre in East London on Sunday, 3 July.
“This fight means a lot to us. We need to show that we are still a force to be reckoned with in boxing. We must show people where we belong. It’s important to know where we belong,” Njekanye said.
This 10 rounds international bout is Fuzile’s first fight at home since he suffered an eighth round stoppage loss to Tajikistan boxer Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-lightweight eliminator in September 2019.
Fuzile, who’s making his lightweight debut, will also be fighting for the first time since losing to former IBF junior-lightweight champion Kenichi Ogawa from Japan last November.
“We need to impress ourselves before impressing other people. We have seen our mistakes and we have acknowledged them,” Njekanye remarked.
“Boxing is unpredictable. Only fools are predictable. This fight is more like self-introspection. We also know that people want to see what Azinga can offer. They want to see whether he’s stagnant or improving as a boxer.”
Aryeetey is a former Ghanaian featherweight champion, who has already fought twice this year. He defeated his compatriot Henry Mensah and Nigerian Nureni Alabi both by stoppages. Aryeetey has 15 wins with 11 knockouts and six losses.
“Our opponent is not bad and is not gonna be a walkover. He doesn’t have a bad record. He’s gonna make us think and sweat,” Njekanye said.
