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Tribute: A legend throws in the towel
For 15 months he held onto the World Boxing Organisation’s (WBO) bantamweight title, flew Ghana’s flag high as the nation’s fifth world boxing champion, an exclusive group he joined one month after his ‘twin’ flame’ Ike Quartey became a world champion.
Even after losing the title, Alfred Cobra Kotey remained one of Ghana’s finest boxers of his generation, a very talented fighter who carried stung opponents in the ring like a cobra despite his rather a calm demeanor.
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Kotey may have made his final ring appearance eight years ago when he lost to his younger compatriot, Frederick Lawson, at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra. However last Tuesday night, he lost his final fight, a long battle with illness at a New York hospital. It was a rather sad and pitiful end to a story about Kotey, the supremely gifted boxer who failed to live up to his potential but still left his footprints in the sands of time.
Kotey lived up to a promise and realised his dream of becoming a world champion in 1994 when he defeated Puerto Rican Rafael Del Valle at York Hall via a unanimous points decision in London. Many expected him to reign for a long time and even become a multi-weight champion on account of his cheer talent. However, his close associates and former handlers point a lack of hard work and focus as his biggest weakness and eventually robbed the Bukom warrior of greatness.
Kotey’s skill stood out throughout his career and made him one of the finest fighters to have come from Ghana. This quality was acknowledged by former International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight titlist and a friend, Joseph Agbeko.
“He was one of the finest boxers to have come from Ghana when you look at his skill in the ring,” said Agbeko. “You watch Alfred’s fight and you will enjoy every bit of it after his win.”
“I learnt a lot from him when I was coming up. I used to call him to teach me his tricks because he was more than just a puncher in the ring,” Agbeko told the Mirror as he eulogised the late world champion.
The journey
Born at Bukom in Accra on June 3, 1968, Kotey was part of several Ghanaian champions who had to fight poverty through boxing. It was his only means of making it from the slums of Bukom.
Kotey quickly formed a formidable partnership with Quartey and they both featured for Ghana in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. It was his splendid amateur career that prompted Yoofi Boham, his former manager and promoter, to sign him when he decided to turn professional after the Olympics.
“I remember how Alfred Kotey missed out on the Olympics medal due to an injury he sustained during the competition. He got to the medal zone of the Olympics but couldn’t compete because he was injured,” Mr Boham told the Mirror.
“He was an exceptional talent so I decided to sign him on and that started our relationship.”
Kotey won his first 16 professional bouts with 12 knockouts which won him the West African Boxing Union (WABU) and Commonwealth flyweight titles respectfully by 1992.
Becoming champion
Kotey lost his 17th professional bout to Julio Cesar Borboa and had two years of inactivity before returning to slug it out with Chris Clarkson whom he beat. The next fight was a world championship fight.
“It was one of his memorable fights and he fought angrily. He was one of the best boxers of his era.”
With a bright future ahead of him, the new champion failed to live up to expectation immediately after two successful defences. He lost the belt on his third demesne against Daniel Jimenez in 1995 and that ended a bright career.
Kotey couldn’t reclaim his title with several defeats.
“He was focused and committed to training when he was in Ghana and the United Kingdom. Kotey changed when I took him to the US and that really affected his career.”
“He became lazy and wasn’t training regularly. I know he could have reigned for long if not for what he turned out to be in America.”
Tributes
Quartey, his closest ally in boxing, described him as a brother who contributed immensely towards his achievement in the sport.
He said the late Kotey would continue to be his brother even in death.
“It’s been very difficult for me these past few days since his passing. Everyone in boxing knows my relationship with Alfred Kotey. He was a brother and my boxing partner.”
“He was the one who motivated me into becoming one of the best fighters to have come from Ghana. I will forever miss him and even in death, he remains my brother.”
Kotey’s eldest son, Derrick Kotey, a promoter with Ambition Boxing, described his father as a very humble, respectful fellow who possessed a great sense of humour.
Derrick referred to his father’s demise as a very painful loss not only to the entire family but the boxing fraternity as a whole.
“He was very humble, respectful with a great sense of humour. It’s been very difficult for the entire family but we know it is a great loss to the entire boxing fraternity,” Derrick noted.
Several tributes from the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), WBO and World Boxing Council (WBC) among others have been poured out for him.