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FEATURE: 'Gameboy', victim of WBO game?
I remember when Emmanuel “Gameboy” Tagoe was mandated to take on undefeated Ryan Garcia in a world title eliminator by the World Boxing Organisation (WBO). It was not just a joyous moment for Ghanaians but a close step to becoming a world champion.
The order by the WBO was an opportunity for Tagoe to prove himself in the lightweight division. However, that hope was dashed when Garcia’s camp opted to fight for the World Boxing Council (WBC) eliminator instead.
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Sometimes, life has a way of making things unbearable for you. Tagoe’s story was no exception because in over a year of becoming the WBO’s mandatory challenger, Tagoe was yet to fight for the WBO lightweight title.
I don’t think the Ghanaian has been treated fairly by the WBO. How can a mandatory challenger be overlooked and asked by the sanctioning body to fight in a four-man tournament to determine his fate for the belt?
That decision by the WBO after Garcia pulled out of an eliminator with Tagoe was strange to me. I thought the sanctioning body would announce a new opponent for the bout to take place but that didn’t happen.
It’s been a long road for the Ghanaian and only faith and determination can help him out of this mess. He really needs the strength to carry on in what looks like his years of toil would be in vain.
Even the unfair four-man tournament for Tagoe failed to happen because the WBO cancelled it indefinitely. What is really preventing the sanctioning body for being straightforward and objective to his boxers?
I think Tagoe deserves better from the WBO, having given his all to get to where he is now. Yes, he has been inactive for over a year but that shouldn’t deprive him of his hard work over the years.
As it stands, he is unsure when next to make a ring return considering the confusion surrounding his career in this COVID-19 period. I recommend a tune up fight for him as he awaits an opportunity for the WBO championship.
Affected by COVID-19
Tagoe was billed to fight Filipino Rey Perez in a contest on March 19 before the pandemic destroyed the bout. That fight would have put Tagoe in shape for the world title challenge.
The cancellation of the fight affected Tagoe so much that he returned to Ghana. He always wanted to build his career from home and only relocated to US for the world championship which never happened.
I wonder if that decision to move back to Ghana has negatively impacted his career and I believe so. One of the reasons for the cancellation of the four-man tournament was because some of the fighters involved were out of the US.
Currently, world championship fights happening are favouring boxers in US due to border restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a sad truth and I don’t know how Tagoe can move back to his Florida base to remain active.
In Ghana, there is a ban on contact sports of which boxing is part. Tagoe can’t have the chance to box here at the moment and the only option for him would be to move to the US.
I believe in his team to make the right decision for him. The likes of Peter Kahn (advisor) and Lou DiBella (promoter) must find a way to evacuate the Ghanaian back to the US if Tagoe should have a realistic chance of fighting.
At the moment, it is the only choice left for the Ghanaian to make his much anticipated ring return and I call on his team to ensure that.
Possible opponents
The WBO lightweight title is held by Vasiliy Lomachenko and it will be a tall order for Tagoe when given the chance. Let us be realistic, the Ukrainian is a well-composed three-division world champion.
Tagoe on the other hand is yet to become a recognised world titlist despite winning the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) belt in 2016. He is also yet to fight at the highest level of the sport.
With Lomachenko possessing a vast ring experience, the chances of Tagoe dethroning him would be slim. But hey, Tagoe must first get a shot at the title to be able to have such dreams of going toe to toe with the Ukrainian great.
Tagoe can also fight International Boxing Federation (IBF) titleholder Teofimo Lopez who has an upcoming unification bout with Lomachenko by the close of the year.
Should Lopez beat Lomachenko, he would snatch the WBO belt and that gives Tagoe a chance to fight him. Indeed, the Ghanaian has a huge task ahead of him in his world title bid.
Also, when the Garcia fight collapsed, Tagoe’s camp commenced negotiations with next in line Denis Berinchyk from Ukraine. The negotiations, however, stalled and is unknown whether it will materialise.
Tagoe’s career has come a long way with a lot of inconsistencies. This is the time for him to go for the dream he had fought hard for and the WBO must not deprive him of that.
Way forward
At age 31, Tagoe is in his prime to lock horns with the division greats and not be given a raw deal by the WBO. It is a dicey situation now and I call on his handlers to act fast to save his career.
He has been written off many times for his style of boxing. Despite the backlash, Tagoe managed to beat the former world champion, Paulus Moses, before the Namibian retired.
All that matters now is that Tagoe is closer to the world title and must work hard to clinch it when the time comes. He must remain disciplined but most importantly active, and that means fighting consistently.
Whatever happens to Tagoe’s career now depends on his handlers, and I entreat them to take drastic measures against the WBO if his situation fails to improve. That is the only way to give him a fair hearing on his world title dreams.
But until that happens, I want to wish him the very best in these difficult times of his career. I believe there will be light at the end of the tunnel!
