It will be sink or swim-time for two promising and unbeaten Nigerian prospects, when Flykite Promotions stage a World Boxing Federation (WBF) twin-bill at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Friday April 2.
24-year-old West African championRilliwan Ayodele “Babyface” Babatunde, 12-0 (8), takes on experienced and accomplished Tanzanian Salehe Mkalekwa, 15-8 (4), for the vacant WBF International Welterweight title.
While he has beaten good opponents before, such as Ghanaians Edem Biki (9-0) and Sanitor Agbenyo (9-0), whom he both stopped, Babatunde has never shared a ring with anyone having a resume like the one Mkalekwa brings.
In 2016 the 15-8 (4) Tanzanian warrior won the UBO All Africa title, which he later relinquished and then regained in 2018. That same year he added the African Boxing Union (ABU) title to his collection, beating former WBF All Africa, International and Intercontinental champion Andreas Valavanis (11-0).
The co-featured bout sees another West African titlist, Rilwan “Real One” Oladosu, 14-0 (6), face hard-punching Ghanaian Emmanuel Quartey, 23-2 (20), with the winner taking home the vacant WBF Intercontinental Super Featherweight title.
For Oladosu (28) this will also be his sternest test by far, as Quartey, a former Ghanaian national champion, is riding an impressive nine-fight winning-streak.
The viewers on GOTV Nigeria and SuperSport Select 2 should be in for a real treat with two evenly matched championship fights topping a seven-bout card billed as “The Easter Showdown”.
