Major and Latest Boxing news in Ghana
FEATURE: What path for Wasiru Mohammed?
Despite so many fighters emerging as prospects from Ghana, Wasiru ‘Gyatabi’ Mohammed was deemed the surest bet to win a world title for the country.
The 25-year-old fighter became a household name in Ghana boxing following series of explosive fights in the country which usually resulted in a knockout win.
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The undefeated fighter’s rise to fame intensified when he won the World Boxing Organisation’s (WBO) Africa and Global super bantamweight titles in just a year.
Those victories got him ranked in the world ratings and rose to sixth position but the sudden turn of events has seen the once talked-about fighter losing his respect in the sport.
There have been several problems in Wasiru’s camp which continue to hinder his progress and until all those things are sorted out, his career will continue to struggle.
So, what really happened to Wasiru? A boxer who should be fighting for the world championship at this stage of his career remains uncertain.
It’s been over a year since Wasiru last fought and his inactivity in the ring has caused his career more harm than good.
Problems
Wasiru’s problems started when he went cold on his management team without any cause.
It was reported that the fighter started flirting with some US-based promotional outfits without the knowledge of his promoters, Fight Ready Promotions.
Reports had it that the offer looked promising just as numerous fighters from Ghana are promised until they get to the US.
I wasn’t surprised that the deal got into his head because this has been a typical attitude of Ghanaian fighters.
However, I expected him to do it the right way because a boxer having a successful career is usually not determined only by talent. You probably need something more than that, and that is loyalty.
Many Ghanaian fighters have seen their careers wither in the US out of disloyalty to their local managers and promoters.
If that continues, I foresee Wasiru suffering similar fate if care is not taken. As it stands, Wasiru looks uninterested in boxing and the earlier he rescinds his decision, the better for his career.
Having failed to defend his WBO Global in over a year, Wasiru’s ratings on the WBO log keeps dropping. He has currently moved from 6th to 11th due to inactivity and it will continue if he doesn’t return to the ring soon.
Intervention
There must be a swift intervention to save Wasiru’s career from going waste and it must be done now. As it stands, he looks fixated with the idea of relocating to the US to continue his career and that is what is affecting him psychologically.
I was, however, happy for him when news broke that he has signed a promotional contract with US-based D&D Boxing, owned by Cameron Dunkin, but the deal looks bleak without any future.
As part of the deal, Wasiru was expected to make his US debut last April but nothing became of the bout. All these could unstable the fighter especially when he is obsessed with fighting in America.
I believe he must earn that move to fight in the US. The likes of Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, Joseph Agbeko and Joshua Clottey all earned their move to fight on the biggest stage.
It must not be just a dream if he wants to get far in this difficult sport. I want to call on previous boxing champions and managers to come to the aid of Wasiru to salvage his career.
Without that, Ghana should be ready to lose out on yet another bright talent in boxing.
