ISAAC’S GHANA BE A GREAT
PAGES OF FANTASTIC Dogboe’s taking world by Storm
ISAAC DOGBOE is happy to describe himself as born in Ghana but made in Britain.
But the story of the London-based WBO world super-bantamweight champion, 24, is anything but your usual rags to riches boxing tale.
Dogboe defends his title against Mexican Emanuel Navarrete in the early hours of tomorrow in New York.
It is the Accra-born fighter’s second defence of the crown he took from Jesse Magdaleno last year.
“I know one day I will be going down as a great fighter,” said Dogboe, who arrived in England at the age of seven.
At 14, after getting into some scraps at school, his dad Paul decided to teach him boxing.
Now he is nicknamed ‘Royal Storm’ and tussling it out with the top of the super-bantamweight division with the help of Miguel’s Gym in London. “The royal comes from my heritage and the storm is about taking the world by storm,” said Dogboe.
His late grandfather, Torgbui Sri III, was the ruler of the Anlo state in the Volta region of Ghana and sent his grandson to find a better life in England.
Boxing wasn’t high on his list of interests at first.
But it was something the pintsized puncher was good at as he aimed to follow in the footsteps of Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey and Joshua Clottey, who hail from the same city in Ghana and became world champions. It led him to the London 2012 Olympics before he turned professional.
The paid game was a tough journey with his dad by his side as they scratched around the UK, US and Ghana looking for opportunities.
But he slowly worked his way to the top and burst on to the world-title scene when he stunned Magdanelo in the 11th round.
Dogboe will travel to America next year to study international affairs while juggling his boxing career.
He added: “Before my grandfather passed away my father made a promise to him that I will continue my university education while I’m still boxing.”
Dogboe’s clash with Navarrete is on the undercard of Vasyl Lomachenko against Jose Pedraza for the WBA and WBO lightweight crowns live on BoxNation from 1.30am tomorrow.
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