Nimibian fighter Moses Ndapanda Paulus will square off against his Ghanaian opponent and former IBO lightweight champion Emmanuel Tagoe come the 20th day of October 2018 at the magnificent Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra-Ghana.
Early in the year, Edgar Raymundo Beltran defeated the African via a unanimous decision to claim the vacant World Boxing Organisation World Lightweight Title.
Mexican Edgar Raymondo Beltran who has a total of 44 bouts with 247 rounds of boxing has 35 victories 21 by way of TKO’s, 7 losses with one draw, is now the WBO World Lighweight Champion.
Emmanuel Tagoe’s (28-1, 14 KOs) biggest hurdle is not even the current WBO lightweight champion who lost to Terrance Crawford via a UD in November 2014 and is now battle ready to defend his strap on Saturday against Jose Pedraza.
Not even the resilient tough customer in Moses Paulus (40-4, 24 KOs) of Namibia.
Paulus ‘The Hitman’ made his debut in 2002 and perhaps is the most underrated fighter in his division. He can be ruthless and cold blooded but lack consistency.
And yes not many expected current WBO Lighweight Champion Mexico’s Edgar Raymondo Beltran to defeat him.
Emmanuel Tagoe’s biggest hurdle is his trash talking tactic.
The king of trash-talks Emmanuel Tagoe is itching to shut-up critics and doubters alike. He is what we called a complete modern day boxer…Smart, tough, witty, gutsy and above all very confident.
Tagoe understands the show and the business but lacks the needed direction at first sight but with Abraham Neequaye and Coach Adama in the saddle, the trash-talk infused and obsessed Tagoe can only get better.
The former IBO champion just can’t resist the opportunity to snip at other boxers. More like a diversionary tactics he delights himself in controversy with such wits and guts.
Like Jose Mourinho, Mohammed Ali and in recent times Adrian Broner, the Jamestown native thrives on mental warfare.
Let’s face it folks, gutter trash talk sells fights, a typical example was the no-brainer between the then undefeated Braimah Kamoko alias Bukom Banku and his counter-part Ayittey Powers, though there was not much at stake, boxing fans trooped to the Accra Sports Stadium just to catch a glimpse of the action.
Take it or leave, that fight single handedly resurrected the dead excitement and ecstasy that thrilled the sport of pugilism.
Recal how Promoters Eddie Hearn and David Higgins clash over Higgins’ comments about Anthony Joshua’s mentality ahead of the boxer’s fight with Joseph Parker.
Even our own Paul Dogboe snipped one over Magdaleno ahead of the fight which eventually saw his son decisioned the Champion via an 11th round TKO.
It’s important that we embrace this sub culture in the art of pugilism in a very sensitive nationhood like Ghana. But people must understand that it’s business and nothing personal.
Nonetheless, trash talkers must at least be mannered in their snipping.