President Akufo-Addo says he is confident that Ghana’s World Boxing Organization super bantamweight champion, Isaac Dogboe, will return to the ring much stronger after the young boxer suffered defeat at his second title defense in New York.
Dogboe, 24, came up against Mexico’s Emanuel Navarrete, an opponent with a height and reach advantage on Saturday night, and lost with two judges scoring it 116-112 and a third making it 115-113.
Akufo-Addo in a tweet encouraged the young boxer and urged him to stay focused.
Better luck next time to the Royal Storm, Isaac Dogboe. I am confident you’ll bounce back even stronger. Keep your head up, he tweeted.
Akufo-Addo, who has passed a vote of confidence in Dogboe believes he is “destined for greatness”.
Following the boxer’s win over Argentina’s Jessie Magdaleno in April 2018, to become the WBO Junior Featherweight Champion, Akufo-Addo said, “We are proud of him, and I am confident that he is destined for greatness!!.”
Dogboe is still enjoying great support from Ghanaians despite the loss, although some Ghanaians have criticized his team for going into the fight barely four months after a tiresome fight with Japan’s Hidenori Otake to retain the WBO super bantamweight title in August 2018.
This is Dogboe’s fourth fight in 2018.
His first came up against Mexico’s Cesar Juarez in January, second with USA’s Jessie Magdaleno in April, before Japan’s Hidenori Otake in August, all of which he won by knockout.
After his loss, Dogboe told pressmen that “It’s unfortunate that I’m leaving here without the title, but he’s taught me a lesson… Next time I’ve got to work extra hard and do what I did previously, maintain the hunger I had before we captured the title.”
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By: Jonas Nyabor | citinewsroom.com | Ghana
