Major and Latest Boxing news in Ghana
Macintosh takes a swipe at Ghanaian boxers
Veteran Nigerian boxer, Simon Peter Macintosh, says Ghanaian boxers will continue to have short careers unless they adopt more disciplined lifestyles and become more focused on the sport.
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Macintosh, born Anazor Obele, turns 55 years tomorrow and, despite not fighting for three years, he insists that he still has three years left in his boxing career because he eschewed vices like drinking alcohol or smoking in his youth.
The former West African Boxing Union light welterweight title holder said: “All the top boxers are disciplined because they know what they want. Drinking, smoking and sleeping around are vices that distract young boxers from reaching their goals of becoming champions and most of them retire early.
“Just recently I was with Azumah Nelson and I told him I am better than you because I am still enjoying my career while you have retired,” he added.
Macintosh also described his meeting with Stanford Ngcebeshe in 1993 at the Don Mateman Hall, Eldorado Park, Johannesburg South Africa as the most memorable fight in his career so far although he lost by a unanimous decision after 10 gruelling rounds.
“It was not that Ngcebeshe was the best fighter, but it was the atmosphere in South Africa around the time Nelson Mandela was released from prison. I think that fight was the first international bout after Mandela was released from prison.”
Macintosh, who has won three out of his 21 professional bouts, stressed that he was hopeful of breaking Bernard Hopkins’ record as the oldest boxing champion ever before he retires.
“Bernard Hopkins won a world title at 49 years; I hope to break his record by the close of the year. I have a bout on December 26 in Nigeria to honour the late Biafran warlord and my hero, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. I am hopeful that Alfred Kotey will accept to be on the bill.”
