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22.09.2005 Sports News

Osumanu Yahaya in Commonwealth title defense

22.09.2005 LISTEN
By Ahmed Shiraj

Commonwealth Light Middleweight champion, Osumanu Yahaya is in London to engage 32-year old Irishman Brit, Neil Sinclair in a mandatory defense of his title tonight in a scheduled 12-rounder.

In the eight-round featherweight co-feature, undefeated English Featherweight Champion Andy “The Wythenshawe Warrior Morris will take on Kevin “Sweet Pea” O'Hara..

Victory for Ossie Duran over Sinclair (28-4, 22 KOs), is likely but the competence of the Irishman is not to be underrated.

The hard hitting Belfast resident boxer has never fought outside Britain but he is reputed for recording one of the most colorful and successful amateur careers in world boxing history. He won Commonwealth Gold in 1994 and had a stunning 104 wins with 6 losses before turning professional.He however dropped his last outing on March 18, 2005, when a clash of heads with Taz Jones 80 seconds in resulted in a cut so severe that Sinclair was unable to continue.

Ossie Duran as he is affectionately called with a fight record (19-4-1, 9 KOs), last fought on June 26 last year to record a third round knock-out feat over British light middleweight, Jamie Moore having earlier beaten Joshua 'Bukom Tsatsu' Okine and Agoe Ashong a.k.a Odorkor Tyson in 2004 and 2003 respectively.

Promoted by Ambition Promotions and managed by Alhaji Tofik, the reigning holder of the WBF European Welterweight title, the 29-year old Osumanu Yahaya is to contend the customer who is likely to motivated by home crowd but his pedigree is enough to hold him up to perform.

The Black Panthers gym product is reportedly eying to score a sensational knock-out in the early rounds of the bout.“It was nice to be honored like that back home,” Duran said. “But I am looking for a world title belt. I think that this fight with Sinclair on Sept. 23 will show everybody that I am ready to take it to the next level.”,he contends.

Currently there are three other Ghanaians with Commonwealth Championship belts and they have September 30 deadlines to defend their titles.They are Welterweight Champion Joshua Okine who won the crowd in October 2004,Bantamweight Champions Joseph Agbeko and Middleweight Champion James Toney.

Though with no fixed bouts arranged as yet, Kofi Jantuah is a contender for the Commonwealth light middleweight, Braimah Kamoko, Lee Manuel Osei and Daniel Sackey eyes for the Light Heavyweight being held by Nigerian born British Peter Oboh whilst Charles Adamu is classified for Super Middleweight.

Also on the bill this month in South Africa with unannounced challengers will be WBA International Super Bantamweight and WBC International Featherweight title holders, Anyetei Laryea and Osumanu Akaba and ,Joshua Okine''Bukom Tsatsu' ', the Commonwealth welterweight championship in Scotland.

Osumanu yahaya is one boxer who would be remembered for allowing for the suspension of the Ghana boxing authority (GBA) in 2002 by the World Boxing Federation (WBF) when he and Joshua clottey without any reason failed to turn up for weighing after signing a contract to engage in separate bouts in the United kingdom

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