Dogbe (19-0, 13KO) became Ghana’s 9th world title champion when he knocked out Magdaleno at the Liacouras Centre, Philadelphia on 28th of April 2018 to lift the WBO world Super Bantamweight title.
The fact is established. Now as to whether Emmanuel Tagoe is a world champion, boxing Ghana emphatically says that yes he is. But the big questions is why are Ghanaians and boxing lovers not recognising him as such and accorded the respect he deserves?
A number of facts can be attributed to what has rather become a war between two world champions instead of encouraging and congratulating themselves.
Tagoe (28-1,14KO) won the vacant IBO world lightweight title in Accra against 43 year old Mzonke Fana on December 2, 2016. He defended the title against Fernando Davis Saucedo after a very long break to recover from an injury after holding a scheduled fight against a legitimate contender (Argenis Mendez).
The fight against Saucedo ended in a round 10 TKO in favour of Tagoe which generated public discussions and the credibility of Tagoe as a true world champion became the matter under discussion. Tagoe in an interview with UTV, a local Ghanaian based television before the fight criticised the Ghanaian media for not giving him that recognition as a world champion but rather has focused their lenses, microphobes and pens on other Ghanaian boxers like Richard Commey, Duke Micah, Frederick Lawson and recently crowned WBO Super Bantamweight champion Isaac Dogbe. This is what generated Tagoe and Dogbe media exchanges.
After Dogbe triumph over Magdaleno to annex the WBO Super Bantamweight strap, the debate elevated.
Pugilists, boxing pundits, commentators, promoters, matchmakers, journalists and many boxing fans started a debate whether the International Boxing Organization (IBO) is a legitimate world title?
It all started with Joyfmonline.com article written by Gary All Smith “why does Ghana not recognise its own IBO world champion Emmanuel Game Boy Tagoe” published 30-04-18. Then on 01-05-18 boxingafrica.com also published an article “Emmanuel Tagoe, Isaac Dogbe and the meaning of a world title”. Subsequently on a Facebook by another journalist Daniel David Quartey also a seasoned boxing journalist who writes for the Crusaders.com took the debate to his Facebook wall.
Boxing Ghana will emphatically say that the IBO is a world title, recognised but less prestigious than the WBA, WBC, IBF and the WBO. The dominance of the four sanctioning bodies afore-mentioned makes the IBO champions appear illegitimate champions of the world.
Tagoe who is currently most decorated boxer in Ghana despite being the IBO world lightweight title holder is ranked 9th by boxrec.com whilst non title holders like Luke Cambel and Richard Commey are ranked 4th and 6th respectively. Tagoe is poorly ranked in 23rd position by WBC whilst WBA, IBF and WBO does not rank him.
Boxing Ghana believes that Tagoes has what it takes to take on any boxer in the lightweight division and will advice that Tagoe should take his trade to the next level, be working than talking.