Major and Latest Boxing news in Ghana
Duke Micah upbeat about world title prospect
Ghanaian world title hopeful, Duke Micah, says he is focused on winning the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight crown when he challenges John Riel Casimero on September 26.
Micah described his maiden world championship bout as a childhood dream which must be realised against his Filipino opponent.
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The 28-year-old Ghanaian will have his biggest platform to become a world champion when he fights on Showtime’s Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view card in Connecticut. It will be one of five world championship bouts on the night which is headlined by the Charlo twins, Jermall and Jermell, who will be fighting for separate world titles.
Speaking in a virtual press conference last Monday ahead of the bout, Micah admitted Casimero was one of the toughest opponents in the division but remained confident he would become Ghana’s newest world champion.
“I’m coming there to win. This is my dream. This is what I’ve set my mind to since my childhood and I must achieve it,” a confident Micah said.
“I’m so thankful to be taking on Casimero, one of the best boxers from the Philippines, because I know he’s a very good opponent.That’s what I want and what the fans want to see, so we have to make it exciting.
Micah returned to the ring in 2019 after a year’s layoff, occasioned by a promotional tussle with Real Deal Promotions. He defeated Luis Suarez Cruz in two rounds on August 31 last year before finishing 2019 with a unanimous decision victory over Janiel Rivera in December.
The Ghanaian is yet to fight this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Micah has been training since the beginning of the year and believes his hard work will pay off when he goes head to head with Casimero.
“We’ve been training hard for this fight because we know Casimero is a very good boxer. He knows what he’s doing and I also know what I’m doing so I’ve been preparing myself to come to the ring in the best shape possible. I’ve watched Casimero before and I know the way he fights so that’s why we’ve been training hard and doing everything right so we can bring the victory back home to Ghana,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Casimero, 31, is a heavy favourite heading into the bout, having won world titles in three divisions. The Filipino was expected to unify versus pound-for-pound entrant Naoya Inoue prior to this fight’s announcement. However, their scheduled bout was cancelled due to COVID-19.
