ACCRA, REPUBLIC OF GHANA, FEB. 08, 2014: The Ghanaian GoldenMike Boxing Promotions Syndicate managed by Michael Tetteh a.k.a "Muttu" has made history that will be written in golden ink for many years to come. Upon winning the first bid for the African continent to host the First Female IBF World Title, GoldenMike Boxing Promotion Syndicate is on the whirlwind to setup one of the major tournament Ghana and in deed Africa has ever staged.
This come on the wheels of its victory for the IBF Female featherweight championship of the world between Ghanaian based Nigerian Princess of Africa boxing Helen Joseph against IBF Female Featherweight champion Dahianna Santanafrom the city of San Domingo in the the Dominican Republic.
The GoldenMike Bixing Promotions Syndicate a subsidiary of Goldenconcept Busjness Conglomerant has scheduled the tournament to take place April 25, 2014 at theAccra Sports Stadium. This is the same place where Helen Joseph annihilatedMarriana Gulays from Hungary to snatch the IBF Feameke Fetherweight Intercont8ennatkl Title last year.
The weigh-in will take place April 24, 2014 at the famous Press Center.
The Princess of African Boxing Helen Joseph is in the hands of Kofi Daku-Rickets who is regarded as one of the greatest professional boxing trainers in Ghana today. Kofi Daku-Rickets has bigger plans for Helen as she aim to the great heights.
The derby to be fought on 10 rounds of 2 minutes each has been heralded as one of the greatest news that Africa has every received in recent years. For a boxer to win the world title under IBF is a golden opportunity for those who would climb that stairs.
Helen, a boxer who has gone through the IBF Africa & Middle East's progression path is young, beautiful, calm and has the serenity to charm anyone around her. She is typical African Princess the like of Princess Cleopatra who harbors great ambitions for her and her continent of Africa.
home to the Princess of African boxing Helen Joseph
is known for producing the first world boxing champion from Africa. Dick Tiger, the man who sent fear shivers to many of his opponents across the Atlantic
ocean
is the Africa's pride whose history and achievements in boxing are written by the golden ink.
Africa
continent
is known as home and bedrock for boxing because many years ago, boxing started in Abyssinia now Ethiopia and was used to measure manhood and heroes. That Africa has been home to several world class boxing champions; it is not a surprise at all.
Helen Joseph (Left) Pummeling Dahianna Santana (right)
In the 21st century boxing cannot be written without the inclusion of female boxing. Women have brought feminine favor to boxing which was missing before. Nowadays boxing is more attractive than during the days of bareknuckle and all this thanks to the inclusion of women to the sweet science which makes it sweeter!
We have already read stories of the meticulous rise and dominance of Dick Tiger, Azumah Nelson, Welcome Ncita, Harry Simon and other boys in the ring but, it is time now we read about the role of women in the sport of professional boxing and most particularly, the story of Helen Joseph, known as "The Princess of boxing in Africa" or "Iron Lady" from Nigeria.
Helen Joseph is a beautiful young lady who found her calling to boxing early on when she was still a toddler. She wanted to be a nurse so that she could attend to the needs of others but then, there was desires of being a protector to others and particularly women. Helen could not stand when she saw other girls from South West Nigeria being mistreated. For that she swore that one day she would do something about it.
Her desires to help and protect other women drove to boxing and as fate would have it, she climbed the ladders so quick that she would realize that time was running so fast with her.
He
r
first duty was in January 10, 2004 when she met Margaret Ibiam in Lagos, Nigeria and did a hurried work by KOed her in the 1st round. The bout became an eye opener to the Nigerian boxing promoters that the champion has arrived.
Three months later on 03, Mrch 2004, she met and disposed Ndidi Okafor in Lagos, Nigeria only 2 rounds of their 4 rounder bout.
The Princess of African Boxing Helen Joseph (Right) Zeroing Dahianna Santana (Left)
Victim number three was Esther Haruna when Helen did her in the third round of their 4 rounder bouts on June 16, 2004 before she met and mauled Toyin Omorayi by points on 29th January 2005.
Helen continued her meticulous rise in professional boxing and this was apparent when she met Busola Obi on 25 June 2005 by stopping her in the 4th round of their 6 rounder bout in Lagos Nigeria before travelling to Ibadan, Nigeria on October 15, 2005 only to knock out Mariam Joseph in 2nd round of their 6 rounder bout.
Helen's first foreign bout came calling in June 03rd, 2006 when she travelled to the Capital City of Lome in Togo and met Yarkor Chavez Annan for the 4 rounder bout which ended in Helen's favor by points.
Her whirlwind tour of West African took her to Burkina Faso in August 05, 2006 where she met Kahide Kazeem at the Maison du Peuple, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and outpointed her in their 6 rounder bout.
The Burkinabe boxing stakeholders demanded that she went back to the country of the Stallion again to showcase her prowess and she did so in July 28, 2007 when to meet Ameley Turkson at the same venue the Maison du Peuple, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Ameley Turkson would lose the fight on points to Helen in their 6 rounder bout.
Time now to the Southern African Hemisphere when Helen calling saw her putting camp in Lusaka, Zambia to meet their national pride Mable Mulenga for the minor WIBF Intercontinental Bantamweight Title at the famous Nationalist Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia. Mable Mulenga could not stand Helen onslaught and she lost on points in their 10 rounder duel.
Helen next outing took her to the Rainbow nation of South Africa in the city of Igoli (JoBurg) when she met and lost controversially on points to Unathi Myekeni in their minor World Boxing Foundation International Female featherweight title.
Namely Emilia of Ghana had to take all of Helen's fury in September 23, 2011 at the Prison's Canteen, Accra, Ghana when she was TKOed in round 6 of their 6 rounder bout.
The Princess of African Boxing Helen Joseph with Santana
Helen's other controversial bout in the Rainbow nation and in the same Igoli city of JoBurg came in March 24, 2012 when she met Unathi Myekeni at the Carnival City Casino, Brakpan, Gauteng, South Africa and the fight was declared a draw to the amazement of all the attending boxing stakeholders.
But, the world's top boxing body the IBF saw her ability and gave her a shot at its world featherweight title against the title holder Dahiana Santana of Dominican Republic. Helen's trip to The Dominican Republic was rescheduled twice because of the visa problems and her team led by her promoter Henry Manly-Spain, the CEO of GoldenConcept Business Group that owns GoldenMike Boxing Promotion Syndicate of Accra, Ghana.
In the end Helen arrived in The Dominican Republic after traveling long way from Ghana, to Spain, Brazil and then Dominican Republic. She has no time to rest and on arrival she was whisked to the weigh-in to face her nemesis Santana who was fighting on her home turf.
The fight was held at the Dominican Fiesta Hotel & Casino, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in December 17, 2012 under the supervision of the IBF Chairman of ratings Committee Anibal Miremontes. The fight saw both boxers kissing the carpet and at the of it Santana came better of the two and retained her title.
The IBF rewarded Helen's courage with the I/C Featherweight title and in May 03, 2013 she had to show the boxing fraternity the type of the boxer she was when she met the stubborn Hungarian Iron Lady Marianna Gulyas and sent her packing in the shortest fight of the year 0:28 second in the first round.
The win and her IBF I/C Featherweight title on hand enabled Helen to retain her number one contender to the Featherweight world title.
The Princess of Africa Boxing Helen Joseph with Onesmo Ngowi, IBF Africa & Mideast President (Left) and her trainer Kofi Daku-Ricketts (Right) after winning the IBF Inter Continental Title last year
Africa is excited with the news of
Helen Joseph stab at the
world title and many boxing fans across the continent are planning to travel to Ghana to watch the awesome fight.
Africa's hopes are highly invested on Helen Joseph, the "Princess of African Boxing" to bring back the honors that her predecessors Dick Tiger, Azumah Nelson, Welcome Ncita, Harry Simon and others brought to Africa some years ago.
They call it Africa. We call it HOME
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