Two IBF All-African title fights top “KnockOut Poverty” pro boxing show

Posted on | September 20, 2008 | No Comments

Albert-Duran Headlines Tuesday night, Sept. 23 at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City

NEW YORK CITY (September 18, 2008) – A pair of International Boxing Federation All-African championship bouts will be featured Tuesday night (September 23) on the “KnockOut Poverty” pro boxing card, presented by Bob Duffy’s Ring Promotions, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan.

“KnockOut Poverty” is a landmark event to help fight poverty in Africa. Grammy Award-winning, UN Goodwill Ambassador Youssou N’Dour and friends are among the many stars scheduled for the historic evening of entertainment, music and boxing. N’Dour and other musical legends are scheduled to perform between fights with proceeds from the event going to the All For Africa charitable organization.

Two-time Nigerian Olympian and former IBA Continental light middleweight title-holder Eromosele “Bad Boy” Albert (21-2, 10 KOs), fighting out of Miami, meets Ghana-native Ossie Duran (23-6-1, 9 KOs), former Commonwealth light middleweight and welterweight champion, in the 12-round main event for the vacant IBF All-African light middleweight title.

Albert, born in Nigeria and now living in Miami, registered his first notable victory in 2005 against Dorian Beaupierre by 12-round decision for the IBA Continental belt. Three fights later, Eromosele won a 10-round win by decision versus the future star of The Contender reality television series, previously unbeaten David Banks (10-0-1). The most significant win to date for “Bad Boy” was by 10-round decision against former world champion Luis “Yori Boy” Campas (88-9) on ESPN in 2007. A seventh-round knockout of Daniel Edouard (18-1-2) followed, setting the stage for Albert’s last fight (May 17, 2008) versus undefeated young contender James Kirkland (21-0) on ShoBox for the NABO light middleweight championship, in which, Eromosele was stopped for the first time in his pro career.

Duran, born Osumanu Yahaya in Ghana, now resides in London. He took an eight-round decision from David Kirk in 2001 for the WBF Pan-European welterweight championship and later that same year, Ossie added the WBF European welterweight belt by 10-round decision against Delroy Millis in London. The Commonwealth welterweight title followed by way of a 12-round victory by decision against Joshua Okine (10-1-1) in Ghana. Duran’s most significant victory was a third-round stoppage in 2004 of Jamie Moore (20-1), current British lightweight champion, for the Commonwealth light middleweight championship. Ossie started 2007 off with an impressive win by eight-round decision versus Jonathan Reid (34-4), star of The Contender Season One. Durans’s last action (June 1, 2007) resulted in a loss by 10-round decision to Kirkland on ShoBox.

In the 12-round co-feature, former world title challenger Kingsley Ikeke (24-3, 13 KOs) takes on Abdullah Ramadan (15-8, 9 KOs), former IBF Interim light heavyweight title challenger, for the vacant IBF All-African light heavyweight championship.

Nigerian-native Ikeke, fighting out of Los Angeles, won his first 14 pro fights, including the WBC FECARBOX light middleweight title, before suffering his first loss to unbeaten prospect Anthony Hanshaw (11-0) by 10-round decision in 2001. Kingsley bounced right back, winning the vacant NABA middleweight belt in his next fight against Marlon Hayes (21-1) by fifth-round TKO. Three fights later, Ikeke added the NABF and NABO middleweight crowns with a sixth-round technical knockout of Kenny Elis (30-4-2), and in 2005 Kingsley stopped Antwun Echols in the 10th round of their IBF middleweight title eliminator. Later that year in Germany, the 22-1 Ikeke was knocked out for the only time in his pro career by undefeated IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham in the fifth round of their world title fight.

Ramadan, living in Toronto, originally is from Sudan. He turned pro in 1990 and holds notable wins against John David Jackson (35-1) and previously unbeaten Lloyd Bryan (16-0). Abdullah lost a 1998 IBF Interim middleweight title fight to Robert Allen (22-2) and is coming off of a loss by 10-round decision last March to Jason Naugler for the Canadian light heavyweight championship.

Former world title challenger, light heavyweight Jaffa “The African Assassin” Ballagou (45-6, 39 KOs), from Togo, meets multiple World Muay Thai champion Manu Ntoh (17-14-1, 10 KOs), from Cameroon, in an eight-round bout. Rounding out the 4-fight card is a four-round bout between a pair of light welterweights making their pro debuts, Issouf Kinda, of Bukini Faso, and Carlos Fortoso.

For ticket and sponsorship information call 212.351.0111 or go online to www.allforafrica.org.

All For Africa

All For Africa (“A4A”) is a non-profit organization that serves as a platform for individuals, corporations and other organizations to actively get involved in, design and coordinate economically sustainable projects in Africa. All for Africa believes that the quickest route to realizing Africa’s true potential is through the effective collaboration between the “for profit” and the non-profit stakeholders in Africa’s future.