•Okwiri said he has been sharpening his talons for two months now at the Ultra fitness hub along Kilimani Road in Nairobi under experienced tactician Daniel Shisia.
•The Kenyan pugilist said he has been yearning for a match-up with the highly rated and technically gifted boxer because they have a lot in common with him.
Image: FILE
Kenya’s pro-boxing sensation, Rayton “Boom Boom” Okwiri has revealed plans to take on Malawian opponent Limbani Chikapa in a non-title fight in Moka, Mauritius on February 24.
In an exclusive interview on Tuesday, Okwiri said he has been sharpening his talons for two months now at the Ultra fitness hub along Kilimani Road in Nairobi under experienced tactician Daniel Shisia.
“I started training in December last year knowing very well I had a fight coming in January. I strongly feel I’m adequately prepared for the task ahead,” Okwiri remarked.
“I am polishing up my act under two trainers. Silas Okuku Otieno is taking me through strength and conditioning sessions at the Hill Park gymnasium while Shisia is helping me to perfect my fighting skills,” he added. Okwiri said they will be traveling to Mauritius two days ahead of the bout.
“We are planning to board a plane to Mauritius on February 22. Arriving there early will give me enough time to acclimatize before the fight,” Okwiri stated.
Okwiri, 37, enters the battlefield fresh after winning the World Alliance Boxing Association (WABA) Africa middleweight title the previous year.
On September 10, the Kenya Prisons officer defeated Malawi’s Chikodi Makawa by a unanimous points decision at the Nyayo Stadium Indoor Arena in Nairobi.
A former Africa Boxing Union (ABU) champion, Okwiri said his resounding victory over Makawa demonstrated his enormous potential in the sport. The triumph brought his impressive track record to nine wins, a loss, and a draw (9-1-1).
Okwiri said earlier plans to battle Tanzanian ringmaster Hassan ‘Tornado’ Mwakinyo in his next title fight had fallen through.
“Our fight won’t be taking place after all. Mwakio withdrew from the duel. I guess he was just scared to face me in the ring. He has avoided me for a long time,” Okwiri said.
The Kenyan pugilist said he has been yearning for a match-up with the highly rated and technically gifted boxer because they have a lot in common with him.
“He is an orthodox boxer just like me whom I can easily beat if I prepare well enough,” said Okwiri.
He said he would not waste time-fighting wannabes anymore but would go straight for the scalps of titlists. Okwiri rose to the global limelight when he punched a ticket to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil after winning the gold medal at the 2016 African Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament.
The bubbly boxer launched his professional career on February 4, 2017, when he devoured Salehe Mkalekwa at the Crowne Plaza Nairobi.
He stormed the African Boxing Union middleweight title in his sixth pro fight on June 8, 2019, annihilating Hussein Itaba on his way to glory.