Ousmanu To Make Boxing History

Ghana’s Osumanu Adama is entitled to an $85,000 prize purse for today’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight title fight with Australian Daniel Geale. But the prospects of the fame and fortune drove his camp to the brink of an expensive gamble.

As they entered Australia last week for the final rituals leading to the fight at the Derwent Entertainment Centre in Hobart, Tasmania, in Australia, Team Adama offered to bet with their purse on a winner takes all lottery.

“Hours after getting off the flight to Australia yesterday, Osumanu Adama's trainer, Joseph Isanonga, told Daniel Geale's manager (Garrie Francisco) they wanted to bet their entire purse on the fight,” The Daily Telegraph has reported.

While the Australian’s camp had been enthused about the betting offer, reported the newspaper, the space of time appeared to have intervened as Team Adama showed no interest any longer.

According to the report, someone had been found “to accommodate Adama's $85,000 and even round it out to an even $100,000 if Isanonga is prepared to take it up”.

But that opportunity was long gone, from the perspective of Adama’s camp.

'If you haven't got the confidence in your fighter the first time, we don't want your money no more,' Isanonga, Adama’s trainer, was reported to have said after the pre-fight news conference, which opened with Geale running up a distance with a fire brigade escort before he and Adama both worked out lightly, and where Isanonga lit up the event, calling Geale a ballet dancer who can't punch, but slaps.

According to the report, “the last time a purse was bet in Australia, Samart Payakaroon thought he had the goods on Jeff Fenech and put up the dough, promoter Bill Mordey enlisted the support of George Freeman and several others, and Payakaroon eventually went home with little more than cab fare”.