Fourteen months ago, Ghanaian boxer, Isaac Dogboe, hit rock bottom, devastated by a crushing defeat by Mexican boxer Emmanuel Navarette.
It was a rematch in May 2019.
After Dogboe had lost his WBO Super-bantamweight title to Navarette in December 2018, an attempt to reclaim it ended embarrassingly.
The immediate aftermath of that fight was a period of rushed decisions and poisonous rhetoric. First his father, Paul Dogboe, said Isaac was quitting boxing to concentrate on school. He later claimed his son’s defeat was down to a misapplied black magic.
Dogboe’s attempt to come back was far from smooth either. He changed coaches like he changed his T-shirts – from Freddie Roach to James ‘Light Out’ Toney.
Eventually, “The Royal Storm” subsided and Dogboe settled for a fight with American Chris Avalos in the Featherweight Division.
Choosing to move up in weight class can always be risky, but Avalos was the perfect opponent to start off with.
With no stand out fight in his career (35 fights, 27 wins, 8 losses), it is fair to say the 30 year old was carefully selected.
THAT is how you debut in the Featherweight division. 😤@IsaacDogboe was on point the entire way, and ultimately stoped Chris Avalos in the 8th and final round.#ValdezVelez | LIVE NOW on ESPN pic.twitter.com/bfwbMafmmn
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) July 22, 2020
In boxing, picking the right opponent in itself is half the fight won. Choose them carefully, and you could end a career undefeated (I’m looking at you Mayweather).
In front of an empty MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, engineered by the coronavirus pandemic, Isaac Dogboe oozed class, knocking out Avalos in the 8th round, and showing the prowess that made him WBO Super-bantamweight champion in 2018.
Dogboe pounded Avalos with his weakening body shots, and the American almost hit the deck in the 4th round after a stinging blow into his body from Dogboe.
Dogboe continued his dominance in the 5th and 6th rounds, continuing to work the body of the 30 year old Avalos, who looked tired and worn out at that point.
The dominance of the former WBO Super bantamweight world champion, Dogboe, finally paid off in the 8th and final round when he ultimately stopped Avalos.
Before the fight, Isaac Dogboe chose the right music the herald his coming. It was as if he knew. Sam Cook’s classic, “A Change is Gonna Come”, isn’t just another song, it’s a historical piece that brought hope and signaled a brighter future.
The win was a signal that Dogboe was on his way back, and the change we have long been hoping for, certainly seems like it’s on its way.
Isaac Dogboe sings “A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cook”
“And I know … a change is gonna come.” 🎶
A fight for redemption leads it off at the top of the hour, as former world champion @IsaacDogboe is more than ready for his Featherweight debut to start the show.#ValdezVelez | ESPN pic.twitter.com/WqXKj14gia
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) July 21, 2020
