We’ve tried our best for Nigerian boxers, says NBB of C

• ‘Accusation By Oto ‘Joe Boy’ Joseph Not True’

The Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C) says it had done everything possible to make the nation’s professional pugilists comfortable.

On Thursday, one of Nigeria’s reigning boxers, Oto ‘Joe Boy’ Joseph, who was stripped of his African Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight title last year, declared that he had taken his career to Ghana, alleging that some top officials of the NBB of C were frustrating his career.

But the Secretary General of NBB of C, Remi Aboderin, told The Guardian yesterday the accusation by Oto ‘Joe Boy’ Joseph was not true saying: “We have do so much for Nigerian professional boxers, and it was wrong of Joe Boy to accuse us of frustrating his career.

Joseph, who is one of the most revered boxers in Nigeria, having ruled the ABU lightweight category for many years, had blamed NBB of C officials for losing his ABU Lightweight crown through the back door saying: “I can say that NBB of C failed to protect me because they could have been able to ask ABU to give me until March this year since the bout was already in waiting. I am angry with those controlling boxing in Nigeria.”

Aboderin hinted yesterday that the state of Nigerian professional boxers had greatly improved compared to how they were some years ago. “

“Before now, it was difficult for Nigerian professional boxers to make good money from fights, but the NBB of C, in collaboration with the GOtv Boxing Night, made it possible for them to have many fights in a year and also go home with good money. Some of the boxers pocketed N3 million in one edition of the GOtv Boxing Night.”

Aboderin hinted yesterday that the NBB of C had lined up eight different boxing events for the year before the outbreak of corona virus, which knocked down sports and other businesses across the world. “But hopefully, we can still stage three or four boxing events before the year runs out. Our prayer is that the COVID-19 pandemic should end soon so that boxing and other sporting events can return to full action. Many Nigerian boxers have become known in other countries. They are easily recognised anytime they go outside Nigeria to fight. Oto ‘Joe Boy’ Joseph still remain our person,” Aboderin stated.