Manyo Plange set for world title in June

One of Ghana's best kept secret, Jesse Manyo Plange, could soon have a shot at a world title as he is billed to fight in a WBA bantamweight title in June.

It will be his first attempt at a world title fight having defeated Sharif Kareem of Nigeria in a technical knockout in their bout at the Arena last Friday to win the PBC super flyweight title.

The 32-year-old newly-crowned champion, who remains undefeated in 20 bouts with one draw, received his title belt last Friday when he was decorated with the belt by Alhaji Tofik Muritella, an executive member of the Ghana Boxing Authority(GBA) and the country’s representative of the West Africa Boxing Union(WABU) in Accra.

In the company of his manager, Alhaji Mohammed Samadu, wife and Alhaji Tofik, the longest serving amateur bantamweight champion in the country, said even though it had taken long, it was better late than never.

“I believe my time has come, I want to be the world champion, it has been a very long journey for me, but God’s time is the best,” he told the Graphic Sports in an interview last Friday.

The boxer, popularly referred to as Manyo by his peers and in boxing circles, revealed that before his world title challenge in June, he was scheduled for a fight with a yet-to-be-announced opponent in the first quarter of this year.

“For now, it is going to be ‘forward ever’ for me and ‘backwards never’, with the support of my manager, Alhaji Tofik, and GBA, I am destined for the world title,” he noted.

The petite fighter is currently ranked eighth by the World Boxing Association and his manager believes that makes him ripe for a world title challenge.

“Manyo has come a long way, we now have a physical trainer, a physiotherapist and a psychologist for him, he is unstoppable and come June, there will be a world champion in Ghana again,” he told the Graphic Sports.

Alhaji Samadu expressed gratitude to Manyo’s trainer, Lartekwei Lartey, whom he praised for honing the skills of the quick puncher since his infancy.

Alhaji Tofik asked Ghanaians to pray for him and throw their weight behind Manyo to achieve the utmost expectation of Ghanaians, which is-- winning a world title for the country again. Read Full Story