Bukom Banku makes 600k in three bouts

Former WBO Africa champion Bukom Banku may have gathered some ring rust but is set to return to the ring as Ghana’s highest earning home-based boxer during next year’s calendar.

He will rake in GHC 600,000 (around $100,000) within a three-fight deal with Ghanaian promotional giant Box Office Promotions, led by Alex Ntiamoah.

The former number 5 contender on the WBC light heavyweight rankings has already signed on to what will be worth about GHC 200,000 per fight.

The deal signed on Sunday October 10 at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, will see the boxer face some tough yet-to-be-named opponents during the 2022-23 boxing calendar, as the deal is expected to last 18 months.

The figures are a major improvement on the GHC 35,000 purse he earned back in May 2014 when he fought and defeated Ayittey Powers (Michael Ayittey Okine) before a crowd of almost 20,000 fans. The high profile non-title bout

In the last two years, the highest earning boxers on the local scene in Ghana have earned between GHC 5,000 and GHC 7,000.

Ghana’s Lightweight champion Michael ‘One Bullet’ Ansah, for instance, made GHC 7,000 in his third meeting with Sherrif Quaye in what was a heavily subscribed bout.

“We at Box Office are excited about getting Bukom Banku back in the ring in grand style. We are confident that be can treat us to some good bouts, ” he told Joy Sports in an exclusive chat.

According to the Box Office CEO, arrangements have already been made for Brimah Kamoko to have his training camp in the UK.

“We want him to stay off all distractions that can possibly affect his training and soundness of mind while here at home.” Alex Ntiamoah added.

Brimah Kamoko has been inactive since winning his first bout outside Ghana in 2019 in the UK.

At age 41, Banku has a record of 30 wins and a loss with 23 of the wins coming via knockout. Banku suffered the only defeat of his career to 2008 Olympian Bastie Samir in a highly subscribed bout at the Bukom Boxing Arena on October 22, 2017.

The latter, later pulled out of an agreed rematch which was expected come off in June 2018.

Ahead of the execution of this agreement, however, Bukom Banku has an existing contract with S3 promotions in which he is scheduled to fight boxer and militarily officer, John Napari in December this year at the Bukom Arena.

Joy Sports sources indicate that Box Office Sports is in discussions with Mr. Henry Addo Welbeck the CEO of S3 Promotions to buy Banku out of the December bout.

Banku and Napari were scheduled to fight some years earlier but the latter had to chicken out due to personal challenges.

 

Credit: Joy Sports