Not once, but twice, Ghana’s very own Isaac Dogboe lost to Mexico’s Emmanuel Navarrette in the space of 5 months, losing his WBO World junior-featherweight title in the process.
On December 8, 2018, at the Hulu Theater in New York City's Madison Square Garden when Dogbe stepped into the ring, he was buzzing with confidence. Little did he know that his opponent, Emanuel Navarrete will be too strong and hot for him to handle.
At the end of a bout which shocked the entire Ghana, throwing the boxing community into a state of mourning, it was because the son of the land, the man they call the ‘Royal Storm’ had been beaten to a pulp.
Isaac Dogboe vs Emanuel Navarrete 1 Highlights:
In a post-bout interview after losing his WBO World junior-featherweight title, Isaac Dogboe admitted that he underrated his opponent ahead of the bout and did not have the best of camping as well.
Subsequently, his father Paul Dogboe who was then acting as his trainer also issued an unqualified apology before eventually a rematch was announced for the boxer to have another shot to reclaim the lost glory.
In the second bout against Emmanuel Navarrete which was staged in the US at the Convention Center, Tucson, Isaac Dogboe was abused and battered by his opponent, leaving him almost unrecognizable due to the swelling on his face as he lost by way of TKO in the final round.
Isaac Dogboe vs Emanuel Navarrete 2 Highlights:
The second defeat informed team Dogboe to take a step back even though Isaac indicated that he was open to challenging Emmanuel Navarrette for a third time.
He will later take a short break from boxing to focus on his education before subsequently returning to the ring to train under the legendary Freddie Roach.
After some time, the Ghana boxer will part ways with the trainer to go under the wings of James Toney and John “Pops” Arthur.
That didn’t last either with Isaac Dogboe finally settling on DC-based renowned trainers Barry Hunter and Patrice Harris.
With the mojo back, the shape looking good, and returning to the basics of the art, Isaac Dogboe is now making a return to the ring today with the sole aim of getting back to winning ways to warrant a place in the rankings of the Featherweight division.
He has fallen, he might have even lost his confidence. But Isaac Dogboe is not giving up on winning a World title in the future. In an earlier interview with Red Glove News, the 25-year-old boxer stressed that he is optimistic about becoming a two-time champion.
“I see myself winning another world title belt very soon, it could be any weight class. Someone may overlook me and say he has lost two fights who knows, it is what it is, but I see myself becoming a two-time world champion”, he said.
His Opponent:
Isaac Dogboe is set to face Chris ‘The Hitman’ Avalos in a 8-round featherweight bout that will be staged at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, USA.
The Records:
Isaac Dogboe - 20 fights, 18 wins, 14 KOs, 2 defeats.
Chris Avalos – 27 fights, 20 wins [all by KO], 7 defeats.
The Weigh-In:
Isaac Dogboe - 126 lbs
Chris Avalos - 125.9 lbs
Coincidentally, the 30-year-old Chris Avalos is also coming from 2 successive defeats and in need of a victory against Isaac Dogboe to set a path towards a world title shot.
With the stakes that high and with the boxers keeping their eye on the prize, the world should be in for a treat later tonight.
View of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA):
With several Ghanaian boxers suffering major setbacks and losing their respective titles in the last couple of years, the GBA is backing Isaac Dogboe to successfully return to winning ways at the end of the Chris Avalos meeting.
“From the GBA point of view we know can Dogboe can bounce back and become a two-time world champion”
“It is not going to be a cheap fight because Chris is also a good fighter who we know he also has the punch. He is a very skilled boxer. He has even fought more than Isaac Dogboe so this is a 50-50 affair but we believe in our boxer than he will definitely bounce back and he is going to win this fight”, General Secretary of the GBA, Patrick Johnson said in an interview with Class FM.
For renowned boxing expert Mohammed Amin Lamptey, he underlines the need for the Ghana boxer to take his chances against his opponent.
“It is important for him to win because it is another chance, another window of opportunity provided him [after the back to back defeats to Emmanuel Navarrette].
“I know Isaac Dogboe will not let go”, he told Class FM.
The venue, where to watch, Date & Time for the Dogboe-Avalos bout:
The fight will be staged at the MGM Grand Ballroom in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will be televised by US network, ESPN.
July 21, 8pm ET
July 22, 01:00GMT.
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