MIKE Adeyemo, Chief Executive Officer, Matchmakers International Sports, says plans have been concluded to discover young Nigerian boxers that will compete on the global stage in the near future.
Adeyemo who disclosed this at a news conference on Thursday in Lagos, said this would be achieved through the ‘Street Rumble Boxing’ competition.
He noted that the competition aimed at unearthing grassroots boxing talents and giving them the needed platform to become world champions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Season 2 of the street rumble boxing competition, is scheduled to hold on Dec. 13, as a one-day event.
The season 2 competition is with the theme: The Movement Continues; The Street Speak.
The chief executive officer said the initiative was also aimed at encouraging young people to stay away from drugs and other social vices by embracing sports.
“Street Rumble is about the grassroots. We want to take boxing to the streets and create awareness.
“Our goal is to help young people choose a positive path instead of getting involved in drugs or other negative activities.
“We also want to create opportunities for talented boxers who may not have the chance to showcase themselves and become world champions someday,” he said.
According to him, organisers are expecting the competition to continue growing and provide more opportunities for young boxers.
He added that the Season 2 of the competition would feature former Olympic gold medallist and former world heavyweight champion, Ray Mercer.
According to Adeyemo, Mercer is expected to attend the Dec. 13 event.
“We are partnering with Ray Mercer and we believe his involvement will make the competition bigger and better.
“Moving forward, he will continue to be part of the project,” he said.
Adeyemo said the organisers expected more than eight bouts in the one-day competition, although the final number of participants had yet to be confirmed.
He added that different weight categories would be featured, while female boxers would also compete.
According to her, the prize money for winners has not been decided and will be announced by the organisers soon.
Ifeoluwa Ogunlaja, representing the Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, said the commission would continue to support the street rumble boxing initiative.
Fatodu said the initiative had been endorsed, noting that all sporting activities in the state required the commission’s backing.
“We have given our full endorsement because no sporting activity can hold in Lagos without the backing of the commission,” he said.
He described the programme as a good platform to engage youths positively and reduce crime and restiveness through sports.
“This is a good platform to engage our youths and reduce crime in our society,” he said.
He urged organisers to remain resilient, in spite of possible challenges.
“I urge the organisers to stay resilient and consistent,” he said.
The director general expressed hope that the tournament would discover talented boxers who could represent Nigeria at the international level.
“We are hopeful this tournament will unearth talented boxers who can fly Nigeria’s flag and achieve success at the international level,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Ralph George an official of the Anambra State Football Association said the second edition of the street rumble boxing event would be bigger than the first.
George said he was the ring announcer at the maiden edition of the event in Lagos.
According to him, taking the boxing promotion to the grassroots was a bold move by Adeyemo.
“It is one thing to have a promotion in boxing and another, the venue. He decided to make it grassroots, bringing people from all walks of life to Ajegunle,” he said.
George, who described himself as ‘a son of Ajegunle’, said the area had produced many top footballers and boxers over the years, including the late Obisia Nwankpa, a former Nigerian boxing champion.
He said the second edition, would feature a stronger boxing card, once officially unveiled.
“By the time he announces in his second news conference, we are going to have a stacked card of big boxers to take part,” he said.
George, also a sports broadcast journalist added that boxing was growing steadily in Nigeria, especially in Lagos.
Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBBC) Remi Aboderin, lauded Mike Adeyemo for organising a boxing event aimed at engaging the Nigerian youths.
Aboderin, who is also the President of the West African Boxing Union, said the initiative had revived interest in boxing among young people and provided them with a platform to develop their talents.
“What Mike Adeyemo has put together is very commendable. It is a laudable event,” he said.
He said the board, as the sanctioning body for professional boxing in Nigeria, would continue to support the organisers to ensure the event produced the best athletes.
Aboderin called on corporate organisations and individuals to support the initiative through their Corporation Social Responsibility (CRS) saying such support would help keep youths positively engaged.
“We need our companies to realise that they need to do the CSR, so that our youths are not tools for the devil’s workshop. He should not be detached.
“Rome was not built in a day. I am positive he will be able to bring out champions,” he said.
Benjamin Abu, a boxer commended the organisers for giving him the opportunity to showcase his talent at the maiden edition of the competition.
Abu said he had almost quit boxing before he was invited to fight at the maiden edition, adding that the opportunity helped him overcome drug abuse and regain focus.
He promised an exciting performance in the second edition and urged youths battling substance abuse to remain hopeful.
“I had given up on boxing, but that call changed my life. I dropped everything and came back. There is light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. (NAN)
A.I
Aug. 7, 2026
Tags: late Obisia Nwankpa Mike Adeyemo
Comments
Start the conversation about this story.