Confident Onoriode Ehwarieme jets out for WBA title fight in Hamburg

‘I will secure victory in round three’
World Boxing Federation (WBF) champion, Nigeria’s Onoriode ‘Godzilla’ Ehwarieme, yesterday traveled to Hamburg, Germany, ahead of the World Boxing Association (WBA) International heavyweight title fight scheduled for February 20. Ehwarieme, a native of Oghara, Ethiope-West Council Area of Delta State, will fight Zhan Kozzobutskiy of Kazakhstan for the WBA title.

Speaking with The Guardian shortly before he left the Murtala Mohammed airport in Lagos yesterday, Ehwarieme hinted that his U.S.-based manager, Nelson Aiyelabowo, will join him in Hamburg soon.

“My manager is a Nigerian, but based in the United States. He is already on his way to Hamburg.”

Ehwarieme hinted that he had watched video clips of his Kazakh opponent, Zhan Kozzobutskiy, assuring that he would knock him down.

“I am confident I will knock him down in round three. I watched various clips of his fight and discovered that he always like to put pressure on his opponents. But he is not that flexible. He won’t escape defeat in Hamburg,” Ehwarieme stated.

While Ehwarieme, popularly known as ‘Knockout Specialist,’ has 17 KOs in 18 fights, his Kazakh opponent has recorded 13 knockouts in 14 fights. Kozzobutskiy was born on November 13, 1988, and has held the Inter-Continental (IBO) heavyweight title since 2019.

Ehwarieme won the heart of Nigerian boxing enthusiasts two years ago through his historic victory over Argentina’s Ariel Baracamonte in a World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental heavyweight title fight in Lagos.

On December 28, 2019, Ehwarieme needed just one minute and 60 seconds to knock out the visiting Argentine boxer, Ariel Baracamonte at GOtv Boxing Night 20 to pick up the WBF Intercontinental heavyweight title in style. Before then, Ehwarieme had recorded 17 knockout victories in 18 fights. Till today, many boxing fans in Lagos still talk about his vicious blows, which sent the boastful Argentine boxer to the floor in the first round of their 12-round fight at the TBS in Lagos.