By Ishola Adeleke and Okereke Udoakpuenyi, YeyeNews.com, October 2, 2021
Former world cruiserweight boxing champion Bash Ali has challenged the newly crowned IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to a bout in any location of his choice. The former champion told YeyeNews.com that he wants to fight Usyk to redeem the image of Nigeria. “I want to avenge Anthony Joshua’s defeat and redeem our national pride”, Bash Ali said.
The 64-year-old Bash Ali who has not fought for over 15 years told YeyeNews.com reporter that he had been keeping fit over the years by having regular sex and feeding on groundnut and Coca-Cola. “I am 64 years but still very fit. I train regularly, do lots of exercise and eat very little. That’s how I stay fit. NBC [Nigeria Boxing Council] is aware that I am planning this fight with Usyk. They gave me their blessing.”
Asked by YeyeNews.com reporter if he though he had a chance with a far younger Usyk, Bash responded forcefully, “I will knock him out before round five”, and then added , “I can still do eight rounds in the bedroom and come out on top. Usyk won’t pose a problem to me. Let him accept my challenge if he’s a true champion.”
When YeyeNews.com reached out to Usyk’s manager for comments, he used LOL emoji and said any challenger should go and fight his way to be contender spot: “We are not aware of the challenge. We don’t even know who is the challenger you are talking about. We received so many emails everyday but don’t have time for any circus play”, the email response read.
YeyeNews.com contacted Nigeria Boxing Council to ascertain if they knew anything about the current physical and mental state of Bash Ali: “We have advised him numerous times to stop this foolhardiness and to go enjoy the remainder of his life in peace. Boxing is not done in the bedroom neither is Usyk his wife. This ministry does not engage in assisted-suicide. If he insists on pushing this forward, then he should keep us out of it and also make sure to write his will”, a sports ministry official told our reporter.
