The 69-year-old veteran will headline the “Legendary Ring Return Fight Night” at Shalom Park & Events Centre, Igando, Lagos, in a 12-bout card promoted by New Era Boxing Promotions. Ali will face Prince Bob Alagoro, a former national and West African middleweight champion, in what organisers are describing as one of the most anticipated boxing events of the year.
A Historic Return
Brigadier-General Idowu Akinlawon (rtd), CEO of New Era Promotions, said the event would mark a major highlight for Nigerian boxing.
“The Bash Ali and Prince Bob Alagoro matchup will be the icing on the cake of a night boxing fans across Nigeria and beyond have been eagerly looking forward to,” Akinlawon stated.
Speaking at a media briefing, he assured that the event would deliver an unforgettable experience for fight fans and help revive public interest in the sport.
Ali’s Bold Promise
Ali, who last fought in 2004, remains confident of victory despite his age. In a statement to PUNCH Sports Extra, he boldly declared that the fight would not last beyond the opening round.
“The fight is not going to go over one round, which is three minutes. If it goes over one round, then I will retire from boxing and never fight again,” he said.
The event has been officially sanctioned by the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C). Its Secretary-General, Olu Aboderin, expressed the board’s full support, saying the contest would promote professionalism and development within Nigerian boxing.
Packed Fight Card
Alongside the headline bout, the night will feature a lineup of national and regional challenges across multiple weight divisions:
- Idris Hamza vs Lawal Faruk – National Middleweight Challenge
- Opeyemi Ibraheem vs Akeem Muri – Bantamweight Contest
- Lucky Oyinbu vs Sahid Sodiq – Lightweight Challenge
- Ekene Usonu vs Abdulkadir Sadalah – Middleweight Contest
- Frank Essien vs Hussein Abdulwaheed – Super Welterweight
- Sodiq Oyakojo vs Oliwo Kazeem – Featherweight Bout
- Olajubu Ibrahim vs Ebuka Peculiar – Middleweight Showdown
- Adeshina Alade vs Sodiq Akinwande – Super Lightweight Bout
- Kabiru Ashiru vs Dominic Moses, Abdul-Azeez Sarumi vs Toheeb Kehinde, and a National Cruiserweight Challenge between Okolie Dozie and Sahidi Akani will round out the card.
The promoter assured that all participating boxers would undergo thorough medical examinations before being cleared to fight.
National Support and Guinness Record Ambition
Meanwhile, the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, has presented a petition to the National Assembly, urging support for Ali’s efforts to stage a Guinness World Record fight in Nigeria.
Ali’s upcoming bout, if completed, will mark one of the most remarkable comebacks in global boxing — a 69-year-old champion returning to the ring not just for glory, but to etch his name once more in sporting history.