NIGERIAN WBC IN LAMENTATION!
By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
While his mates are being honoured, celebrated as heroes, maintained and given world class treatment in other countries of the world, a Nigerian and retired World Boxing Champion (WBC) Bashiru Ali (OON), popularly known as Bash Ali has been demystified, humiliated in his own country Nigerian and even impoverished.
In a birth brief remarks he personally scripted and made available to our correspondent Tuesday 27th February 2024, the story of Bash Ali, the only boxer who did not go through the amateur stages to emerged WBC, is hoax, sympathetic and full of lamentations.
Brash Ali was not only degraded and underated in his home country and Fathers land for been detained in one police felicities or another, but was also remanded in Kuje convict prison custody, now (Nigeria Correctional Service Centre), Abuja, the Nations FCT, for eight times.
The reasons for his disgraceful inhuman treatments are however not far fetched. Indeed, it was also neither because of his criminality nor criminal records, but simply because Bash Ali said “NO TO CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA”.
His brief remarks read in parts:
today, (Tuesday), Feb 27th is my birthday. For 17 years I struggled in vain to host in Nigeria my Guinness World Record Boxing Championship Fight because I was BOLD to say NO to CORRUPTION in Sport in particular & in Nigeria in general.
In 17 years, I went from being a MILLIONAIRE in DOLLARS to zeronaire in naira. In 17 years I was beaten and injured that I had to be admitted twice and treated at the National Hospital, Abuja.
“In 17 years I was detained 8 times at various police stations in Abuja. In 17 years I was once detained at kuje prison for 43 days. I went through hell in my country not because I am a CRIMINAL but because I say NO to CORRUPTION.
“Despite JUICY offers to fight outside of Nigeria, I never gave up on my dream to fight in Nigeria and I never gave up on Nigeria.
“Today, our dream is finally becoming a reality & because I am an extraordinary human being, I am going to box until I am 70 years, retire young and healthy with a lot of money and then go on to be the president of Nigeria. This is my ultimate goal. Happy birthday to me”, he stated.
Bash Ali born on February 27, 1956.
He is the only boxer in the world to win a world boxing title without first boxing as an amateur.
He is the only Boxer in the world to win every Cruiserweight Title conceivable: California, United States Boxing Association (USBA),
North America Boxing Federation (NABF), World Boxing Council International (twice) & the current World Boxing Federation Champion.
He has the best boxing record of 75 wins and 57 KOs in the cruiserweight division. He is the only Boxer in the world to have the massive support of a world Boxing Body, the World Boxing Federation to satisfy a California Superior Court Judgment.
Because of his contributions to the promotions and development of Sports in Nigeria, he was awarded the Highest National Honour ever given to a Nigerian athlete, the Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON.
When he had his first World title defense in Nigeria on Dec 5, 1987 against Kevin Wagstaff, of Australia boxing was at low point in the country.
Through the fight, resuscitated the game from the pit and became the saving icon of Boxing in Nigeria. He became the “Jesus Christ of boxing in Nigeria”.
On September 9, 2000, he intimidated, broke down physically and knocked out the then World Boxing Federation Champion, Terry Ray, USA, to win the World Title.
He became the black Moses of Boxing because he took Nigeria to the Promise Land of Boxing.
Now, he wants to be in the Guinness World Record not only as the oldest boxer to fight for a world title but to win it.
This singular act, at his age is beyond human comprehension and will make him the “Ultimate Champion of Champions of boxing”. The God OF boxing in the world. He is truly an extraordinary human being.
