From the Streets of Ajegunle to IBF Champion
His passion for music was never in doubt, as he performed with the likes of Daddy Showkey. But boxing has always been the ultimate for Gifted Cole Chiori. The reigning World Boxing Federation Junior Middle Weight champion’s priority for now is how to revi
Growing up, Cole Chiori love fighting a lot, though he did not really know about boxing then. "All I knew was to fight. One day, I ran into a place where I saw people training in a boxing gym and I said to myself ‘ since I love to fight, why not take to boxing’ and that was how I became a boxer," he said.
On his parent's reaction to hisdecision, Cole said: "My father, who was a reverend father, was a boxer and he told me a lot about boxing. So, it was not strange to him when I decided to take to boxing. He felt I could go ahead to achieve what he failed to achieve as a boxer and bring out the family name which I'm happy to be achieving now."
However, his mom was not too comfortable with his decision but she later consented. "And each time she watches me win any of my fights, she is happy," he said.
Cole started boxing in Ajegunle (Lagos), the place he was brought up but later moved to Festac Town, where he became more involved in the game. It was at Festac that he learnt the art of boxing. Cole will always be grateful to his elder brother, Peter, who had a lot of belief in him to be a successful boxer, even while still very young. “He was the person that really pushed me to the height of my career as a boxer.”
Though his boxing role model is former world heavy weight boxing champion, Evander Holyfield, Floyd Mayweather remains his favourite boxer.
Asked what else he would have been doing if he was not a boxer, Cole said: "I would have been an artiste. As a matter of fact, I was at one time singing on the streets of Ajegunle and I performed with the likes of Daddy Showkey, Daddy Fresh and Baba Fryo. So, I would really have been singing if I were not a boxer. Even Showkey was once a boxer. I used to watch him box as a young boy in Ajegunle.
"As a boxer, I have achieved a lot. So far I'm the only African to have fought for and won a WBF title. I have achieved what no Nigerian boxer has achieved. Not even the Nigeria 'Nightmare' Samuel Peter. I have done what he could not do in boxing because after my victory in Atlanta, I came home to give back to my community by setting up boxing clinics for young children between the ages of 8 and 16. I also organised a boxing competition for them, which was a huge success, which to me was even more than winning a title and I'm looking forward to even doing more," Cole said.
Though he did not take to music as a career, singing is still very much part of him. Whenever he is not in the ring, you will find him singing.
"We have an entertainment firm called Achievas Entertainment and there is Excellentee from Cameroun. So if I am not boxing, I am thinking of music and business.” But Cole is not hoping to release an album in the nearest future. "Music is just a hobby; it's just what I love.
“I want to take Nigerian boxing to a different level. I want to take children in my boxing clinic around the world where boxing is taken seriously, to go and compete. In Nigeria, boxing is totally dead. It is nowhere to be found and that's my own way of reviving it. I can bring boxing back to life in Nigeria."
Cole blames the decline of boxing in the country to sports administrators.
"Our sports administrators concentrate on football at the expense of other sports. Attention was totally withdrawn from boxing and nobody remembers the existence of boxing in Nigeria again. The people in charge of boxing are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. But by the grace of God, I will bring boxing back to life in Nigeria again.
"There are still good boxers in Nigeria and I can bring back the glorious days of boxing to the country. I will produce Olympic champion for this country and if I can get the support of private organisations and government ( federal and state), a Nigerian boxer will win gold at the 2020 Olympics. The governor of my state, Abia has heard about me and in no time soon we shall meet and discuss on how to drive boxing in the state. He will definitely do something after our meeting.”
On whether he will encourage any of his children to go into box- ing, when he eventually start having children, Gifted said since nobody decided on his career, he would not decide for any of his children. “If any of them decides to box, he will definitely get my support. Nobody told me what to do. I decided on what I wanted for myself and if any of my sons decided to go into boxing so be it.”
He said it was after his father quit boxing that he became a reverend father. “He loved the game from childhood but it does not matter, a pastor can also be a boxer. George Foreman is a very good example.”
Cole defeated German opponent, Tom Reiche, to retain his Junior Middle Weight World Boxing Federation title after the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round following too much torture from the Nigerian.
The fight, which took place at the Grand Ball Room, Norcross, Atlanta Georgia, USA, saw the Abia State pugilist extending his unbeaten record to 10-0, with nine ending in knockouts
Today, he prides himself as the only African to have won a World Boxing Federation, WBF title.
But for him, whatever he has achieved as a boxer is secondary, while "Our sports administrators concentrate on football at the expense of other sports. Attention was totally withdrawn from boxing and
nobody remembers the existence of boxing in Nigeria again. The people in charge of boxing are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. But by the grace of God, I will bring boxing back to life in Nigeria again. "There are still good boxers in Nigeria and I can bring back the glorious days of boxing to the country. I will produce Olympic champion for this country and if I can get the support of private organisations and government
(federal and state), a Nigerian boxer will win gold at the 2020
Olympics
giving back to the society and the less privileged is what is paramount in his mind.
The charitable boxer loves giving back to the society though he doesn't consider himself being wealthy. He believes in helping the less privileged anywhere he goes. He is so particular and emotional about the plights of orphans, widows and the mentally challenged people in the society.
His charitable mind however did not go unnoticed and indeed has attracted the United Nations that named him Peace Ambassador in 2014.
He however sees giving to the less privileged as a lifestyle without asking for support for his charity. He’s planning to take his charity to other parts of Africa and Asia, which will include Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.
“Plans are on ground to visit widows and orphanages in Ethiopia in August after which we will hit Uganda and Kenya before the Asian trip,” he said.
Indeed, after his victory in Atlanta, he returned to the country and organised boxing clinics for young children between the ages of 8 and 16 as a way of giving back to his community and also organised a boxing competition for them, which has been a huge success so far.
Last year he distributed exercise books to pupils of Ogbokwe Primary School, Asaga Ohafia, in Abia State, which interestingly, was the school his father, Reverend Cole Chiori attended.