Ex-Nigerian Olympian Nestor Bolum set for WBF title fight in Sydney

After spending two years in retirement, Nigeria’s former Commonwealth and Olympics boxer, Nestor Bolum is making a comeback to the ring, with his eyes set on the World Boxing Federation (WBF) title in a showdown against Tyson Lantry on November 16 in Sydney, Australia.

In November 2016, Bolum made big headlines in Australia, where he defeated his challenger, Apichet Siakane of Thailand, on points. This time, Bolum, one of Nigeria’s last men standing at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, will do battle against home-boy, Tyson Lantry, in the WBF lightweight category (60kg).

“I retired two years ago, but I am staging a comeback to face Tyson Lantry in the WBF lightweight 60kg category on November 16,” Bolum told The Guardian from his base in Sydney yesterday. He continues: “Tyson Lantry is the title holder and he hails from Australia. But I am confident of beating him in front of his people on November 16. I know that I am coming from retirement and he is still active in boxing, but I have what it takes to wrestle the WBF title from him.”

Nick Mikael and AFF Mikael of A.M.S Scaffolding Company in Sydney, Australia are sponsoring the fight, according to Bolum. The fight against Apichet Siakane of Thailand in 2016 was the first for Bolum since he quit active boxing since January 2011.He fought in the Bantamweight 54kg class at Athens 2004 Olympics, where Thailand’s Worapoj Petchkoomin edged him out in the quarterfinal.

Bolum, a former Nigerian Air Force officer, who hails from Ughelli, Delta State, grabbed a silver medal for Nigeria at Abuja 2003 All African Games, and was a semifinalist at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006, where he lost to eventual winner, Akhil Kumar. He took his professional boxing career to Canada some years ago before relocating to Sydney.