Banku demands new date for Powers rematch
Comical boxer, Braimah Kamoko, known in boxing circles as Bukom Banku, has demanded a new date for his much-publicised rematch with Michael Ayittey Powers, saying he prefers to fight his old foe on Friday, February 26, next year.
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With just three weeks to the big fight, Kamoko has asked Landmark Promotions, promoters of the fight, to postpone it for two more months due to perceived bias against him.
Last Saturday, Bukom Banku released a video of himself on YouTube citing a number of reasons why he wanted a postponement of the December 26 fight scheduled for the Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi.
According to the undefeated boxer, he had received information from a reliable source that the sponsors of the fight, Joy Dadi Industries, were supporting his opponent, Ayittey Powers and had, therefore, bribed judges and referees to rule in favour of Powers.
“Secretly someone revealed to me that Joy Dadi are supporting Ayittey Powers to beat me because they have bribed the judges and the referee,” he claimed in the video.
“I don’t understand. On our contract signing they branded Ayittey Powers with Joy Dadi T-shirt and they left me out. I don’t understand it because Dr Manfred and Dr Harry are like fathers to me and I was wondering why they treated me that way, because they want to disgrace my work and disgrace me,” he added.
Banku, 34, threatened further not to honour the fight on the original date. “So I’m not fighting on December 26 if they are supporting Ayittey Powers to beat me. They should be ready for February 26 because I’m ready for February; I will kill Ayittey. I don’t like the Range Rover”.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Landmark Promotions, Anthony Kermah, said his outfit had officially written to the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) to take Bukom Banku to task for his threat to renege on a contract he appended his signature to.
According to Mr Kermah, after receiving an initial payment of between GH¢8,000 and GH¢10,000 for training, Bukom Banku failed to attend a major press briefing to announce the bout to the public a fortnight ago at the Accra Sports Stadium.
When Graphic Sports contacted Naa Darkua Dodoo, spokesperson of the GBA, she confirmed receiving the letter from Landmark Promotions, adding that Kamoko’s reason for pulling out of the bout was unacceptable.
“In boxing there is a rule which says that the only time a boxer can pull out of a match is when he is medically unfit and that is the only reason a match can be postponed,” she said.
“Leadership of GBA will hold an emergency meeting soon after the holiday and we will call him to come and explain himself,” she said
