Osumanu Akaba: Accra’s Golden Boy in London by Will Hale Jul 29th 2008

South African bantamweight Tshifhiwa Munyai had made quite an impact since first coming to the UK with the unbeaten and unknown tag in June 2006. He took on the highly-touted British champion Martin Power for the Commonwealth strap. Not only did he look sensational in defusing the Londoner's aggression and then stopping him in nine impressive rounds, he repeated the trick in January 2007 needing only four one-sided sessions. And let's not forget that he also found time to clinically separate Lee Haskins from his perfect ledger via the quick route in between the aforementioned Powerfights. But on the 18th July the “Atomic Spider” fell victim to a majestic performance by Ghanaian southpaw Osumanu Akaba in Dagenham. On paper, the Ghanaian appeared to be a routine eight rounder to get Munyai an end-of-season pay day and some exposure on the Williams-McDermott undercard. The selected “opponent” had lost to Paul Truscott in a fight for the vacant Commonwealth title in his British debut two months ago, and was listed as an unglamorous 10-4 (8). Most of the wins recorded were against inexperienced names unknown to the British fight public. Talking to Osumanu before his return to West Africa, he knew he wasn't there just to make up the numbers. “I know that people didn't rate my record and thought they were going to use me as a stepping stone, just as a journeyman. I knew going into the fight that he'd beaten a lot of good people, but they were afraid of him.” There was a dispute at the weigh-in about the agreed weight at which the fight was to take place. Akaba's camp believed the fight was made at nine stone, with promoter Frank Maloney insisting it was made at 8st 13lbs. Eventually, Akaba dropped off the pound and the fight went ahead, but importantly Osumanu used the occasion to test the South African's intestinal fortitude. “I wore a T-shirt which said ‘Be afraid, be very afraid!' and I went right up to him and told him to have a good look at it. I know I'm good and I want to fight the best.” Akaba, 27 and fighting out of the famed Bukom district of Accra, started the fight fast and then bludgeoned the South African sensation to the canvas in the second. Although Munyai managed to disentangle himself from the web-like ring ropes and beat the count, he was badly hurt. Tshifhiwa got himself back into the fight in the middle rounds, but Akaba's constant pressure and southpaw counter punching were a sight to behold. He just wanted it so much. “In those rounds I was trying to pace myself. I didn't want to get tired and so I took a look at what he was doing. When I saw he didn't have the strength to do anything, I started to make him work towards the end of the rounds”. When Munyai did catch the former WBC International champion with the sort of bombs that accounted for Haskins and Power, Osumanu did what Ghanaian greats Ike Quartey and Azumah Nelson did before him, smiled in absolute love of battle and fought back with ferocity and skill. At the end of eight rounds third man Jeff Hinds awarded Akaba a deserved 79-75 point win. On the subject of his boxing beginnings, Bukom's Golden Boy was keen to elaborate. “I started boxing at 12 and at 14 began fighting in the Accra's junior amateur circuit. In ‘97, they sent me to the National Sports Festival in Kumsai and when I got back I was selected for the Black Bombers”. The Black Bombers is the colourful name given to the Ghana's national Boxing Squad. Similarly, the national football team and hockey teams are dubbed the Black Stars and the Black Sticks respectively. Akaba lit up with pride and passion when talking about his time in the headgear, in which he compiled a 50-6 record. “In '99, I boxed in the All Africa Games in Johannesburg and later fought in an Olympic qualifier in Egypt. I wasn't able to medal, but I later won Gold at the Zone 3 championships in America in 2000 (hence his moniker). When I got home, I realised that I had good talent and decided to turn pro”. After winning his first two starts in double quick time, he was stopped in a Ghanaian and West African title fight against “Bukom Snake” Abdul Malik Jabir in six. He was down in the first and had Jabir on the deck in the fourth. “The fight was stopped on a bad cut. I was leading on the score cards when the fight was called off” But following three more wins in as many years, Osumanu got his revenge in the same round via legitimate stoppage and won the WBC International title. After getting floored twice and outpointed by the still unbeaten Justin Savi on home turf, he lost his strap away in South Africa in September 2005 to the more experienced Jeffery Mathebula, who was 16-1-2 at the time. With disappointment radiating from every expressive feature in his body, Akaba stated simply “They completely robbed me down there”. Osumanu took a year out in 2006, and then after two straight-forward wins in 2007 in Accra the opportunity to fight Paul Truscott for the Commonwealth featherweight title arose. In a passionate “you-win-some-you-lose-some” way, he continued. “We had a good fight and it was close on the cards. But I had a lot of problems. After the long flight and all the medicals, I was really tired and also wasn't in constant training.” Ironically, whispers around ringside were that Munyai had only arrived on the Wednesday for the fight on Friday and consequently may have felt the effects of his own long-haul flight. “After the Truscott fight, I said to Danny Lutaawa (his agent here in Britain) that I had to stay in the UK and get myself in good condition because I know I have the talent to beat these guys” And the plan came off this time around against Munyai. Osumanu sparred intensively with top prospect Akaash Bhatia in the build up and worked on counter-punching. Now Akaba says he is ready to fight anyone and hopefully, with the right promoter, make some money. “It doesn't matter if it's at super bantam or featherweight, I'll fight any boxer. I believe in my talent and want to be a champion” And with this self-confidence and the evidence from last Friday's fight, the “Golden Boy” could be destined for glory nights whether it be in Ghana or over here in the streets of London.

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