Okwiri faces Congolese in IBF Super Welterweight bout

 Rayton Okwiri

Olympian Rayton Okwiri during a training session at the Kaloleni Social Hall on December 11, 2019.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • Okwiri was stripped of the ABU title when he opted to relinquish his professional status to try and take a shot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games during the Africa qualifying tournament.
  • Okwiri, who featured at the 2016 Rio Olympics, failed in his quest for Tokyo Summer Games.

Kenya's Rayton "Boom Boom" Okwiri takes on Ammany "General" Kalombo from the Democratic Republic of Congo for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) International Super Welterweight title on Thursday in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa

The 36-year-old Okwiri, who is a former Africa Boxing Union (ABU) middleweight champion, is undefeated in his professional career of seven wins and a draw (7-0-1), while Johannesburg-based Kalombo has 15 wins and a loss (15-1-0).

Kalombo won the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa International super welterweight in 2019.

Okwiri noted that Kalombo might have 15 wins on card, but he isn’t a boxer who will make him have sleepless nights, adding that he is well prepared, having trained for the last four weeks under coaches David Kiilu and Benson Gicharu.

"He should get ready to be rattled and learn a few lessons from me,"said Okwiri.

On the other hand, Kalombo warned him that he won't go the full 12 rounds.

"I will entertain him a few rounds before disposing him off," vowed Kalombo.

Okwiri’s last fight was on October 13, 2021 when he stopped John Serunjogi from Uganda in the eighth round of their 10-round non-title bout in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, while Kalombo was last in action in April, defeating Malawi's Chikondi Makawa via a third-round technical knockout in Soweto.

American-owned cable sports channel, Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) are promoting the seven-bout card as well as financing the transportation and accommodation of all the participants.

Thursday's show will be televised to an audience of 60 million homes in Africa and Latin America.

Okwiri, who is a sergeant at Kenya Prison Service, thanked his employer for giving him ample time to prepare for bouts.

“To be honest, I can say I'm one of the luckiest boxers in Kenya, because my employer -- Kenya Prisons -- has released me full-time. I just concentrate on boxing,” Okwiri told ESPN.

"The only job that I do full-time is boxing, but when I retire from boxing, maybe that will be the time that I start doing my general duties at Kenya Prisons,” explained Okwiri.

Okwiri was stripped of the ABU title when he opted to relinquish his professional status to try and take a shot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games during the Africa qualifying tournament.

Okwiri, who featured at the 2016 Rio Olympics, failed in his quest for Tokyo Summer Games.