Boxing
Eworitse Ezra Arenyeka: Nigeria’s talented boxer building an inspiring career and giving back through philanthropy
The journey of Eworitse Ezra Arenyeka, may not be known to many, but his successful inroad into the world of professional boxing will always be an inspiration to many.
Ezra as he’s popularly refered to is a Nigerian born (Warri in Delta State) fighter who through hard work and luck made waves in the first year of his professional boxing career boxing with 10 wins (8 knock outs) and no losses in the last seven years.
Giving insight into how it all began. He said.
“I started boxing through the company called White collar fighter based in Manchester, raising money through my tickets sales for the Anthony Nolan blood cancer charity.”
During the early days of the pandemic, I ran 10 miles every day for 10 days for the St Martin homeless charity in Norwich. I raised a total of £1,000, which was donated directly to the charity.
Not only was I raising the money, I was also winning. Within two years of boxing, I had won the ABA’s Elite Cruiserweight Eastern Counties Championships. I boxed out of Attleborough Boxing Club.” He said.
According to Eworitse, he has used his success in boxing to also engage in philanthropy, and it’s no surprise that he created his own Foundation – The Ezra Arenyeka Foundation with a mission is to ‘Give Children Across Nigeria A Fighting Chance in Life’.
Hence, it is no surprise that he is passionate about creating opportunities for others.
Eworitse stated, “I want to use boxing as an opportunity to make a difference. As a professional, I aim to use my platform to help give the voiceless a voice. I aim to donate from my earnings from every fight to help children back home in Nigeria get a better education.
“Ever since I got into the boxing game, I have wanted to use my talent for good and to help the community.
“My foundation not too long ago donated funds to help 4 people in Warri with kidney dialysis treatments as kidney failure is a huge societal issue the foundation also aims to help alleviate.” He added.
Recounting, the talented pugilist now 27year old, explained that he left the shores of Nigeria at 14 to the United States in search of better education.
He lived and studied in Atlanta, Georgia for 3 years before moving to the UK at 17 and attending Newcastle University for a year soon after.
Eworitse also has a Post graduate degree from the University of East Anglia and is completing his PhD from the same university not too long from now.
Oleksandr Usyk will put his WBC heavyweight title belt on the line against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza, Ring Magazine announced on Friday.
The Ukrainian three-times undisputed champion holds the IBF, WBA and WBC titles after vacating the WBO belt.
The 39-year-old has not boxed since beating Britain’s Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium last July.
“I respect his (Verhoeven’s) journey – he’s truly the ‘King of Kickboxing’. But this is boxing – a different game, with its own rules and its own kings,” said Usyk, who has a 24-0 record.
“I’m ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, and I know the fans are excited too. A big night is coming.”
The ‘Glory in Giza’ fight will be streamed live on DAZN.
“I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish,” Verhoeven, 36, told The Ring.
“But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away from the hunger; it strengthened it. Usyk is the undisputed champion in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed.”
Verhoeven has sparred in the past with former champion Tyson Fury and had one professional bout in 2014, which he won by a knockout.
-Reuters
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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will face off in a professional rematch at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, with the bout streaming globally on Netflix, the fighters and promoters announced on Monday.
The fight marks Mayweather’s return from retirement and will be the first professional boxing match held at the Sphere.
Mayweather, who holds a perfect 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, defeated Pacquiao in their 2015 encounter dubbed the “Fight of the Century.”
That bout generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a $72 million live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result,” Mayweather said in a statement.
Pacquiao, whose record stands at 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts, expressed confidence he would hand Mayweather his first professional loss.
“I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him,” the Filipino fighter said.
The rematch will stream to Netflix’s more than 325 million subscribers worldwide, continuing the platform’s push into live boxing.
The streaming platform has recently broadcast several high-profile fights, including Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, which the company said drew 108 million live global viewers
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Former multi-weight world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather will come out of retirement this year for his first official fight in nearly a decade, his new promotion CSI Sports/Fight Sports said on Friday, though his opponent has yet to be decided.
Before his official return, Mayweather is set for an exhibition bout with fellow boxing great Mike Tyson, with the date and venue still to be announced.
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing – from my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards – no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event – than my events,” Mayweather, 48, said in a statement on his new promotion’s website.
It will mark the American’s fourth comeback from retirement, following previous exits in 2007, 2015 and 2017 — the last after beating Conor McGregor to extend his record to 50-0. He has, however, fought several exhibitions since.
Across a three-decade career, Mayweather defeated many of his era’s top fighters and headlined the three highest‑grossing bouts in history, against Manny Pacquiao, McGregor and Canelo Alvarez.
-Reuters
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