Patrick Okine has arrived in the UK after departing the country on Monday confident of claiming the Commonwealth Featherweight title when he faces current champion Lee Selby this coming Friday May 25 at the Newport Leisure Centre, Newport, Wales, United Kingdom.
Also at stake is the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) British Featherweight belt which Selby holds too.
Okine (11-1-1, 9 KOs), a former WBA Pan African featherweight champion has labeled Friday night’s fight as his moment of destiny and not even the home advantage to be enjoyed by Selby could derail his ambitions. “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this since I became a professional boxer so I’m really prepared. I’ve trained very well and I’m also in the best shape of my life. I know he will have the home crowd behind him but that will not affect me. I’m winning this title,” Okine told www.sportsinghana.com before flying out Monday night.
He added: “All I ask of Ghanaians is that they should keep on praying for me and we shall overcome all adversity. I am bringing this title back home and it’s a promise.”
Selby, (12-1, 4 KOs), will be making only the second defence of the Commonwealth belt he won last September and is also counting on victory to up his stakes for global boxing glory. But Okine, nicknamed the Mallet, is equally up for the high stakes and has vowed to overcome the challenge of the 25 year old Briton.
“I feel Patrick Okine is a good boxer and at the same time he has the strength. We’ve watched the tapes of the opponent and we think Patrick can beat him. He has also trained well and his conditioning is also top class so we feel he will bring back the title,” stated a confident Alhaji Zaid, CEO of Classic Vision Sports Management and Promotions, managers of the Ghanaian boxer.
