Enugu, (coal city,) the capital of Enugu State, South East Nigeria is set to take a leading role in boxing promotion as the State hosts double boxing events in October, 2025.
The two events include the finals of the 8th edition of the speaker Enugu State House of Assembly Grassroots Boxing tournament and a professional boxing championship tagged ‘the Rumble in Enugwu.’
According to the Ex-International Boxer and coordinator of both programmes, Mazi Ikechukwu Okoronkwo, the grassroots boxing competition will take place from October 20th to 22nd, 2025.
Mazi Okoronkwo pointed out that the event will feature junior boxers discovered in the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Enugu State.
According to him, the Olympic-style boxing finals for junior boxers will be held on the morning of October 22nd, 2025, and will serve as an undercard to the “Rumble in Enugwu” professional boxing championship, which will be in the evening of the same day at Parliament Hall, PPSMB Enugu.
The Rumble in Enugwu Boxing Championship, which according to the Ex-International Boxer drew inspiration from the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, held in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) on October 30, 1974 will feature talented young boxers from Enugu State discovered through the grassroots boxing talent hunt and other professional boxers
He named some of them to include Okoronkwo Chinaza Ikechukwu (The Emperor) – Super Lightweight; Zoe Chibuike Okoronkwo – Super Featherweight.
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Others are : Shedrack Ozoemena (aka De Bull nwa Nike) – Middleweight ; Ogbodo Israel Obinna Lightweight and Jude Ugwuanyi – Bantamweight.
Mazi Okoronkwo disclosed that the details of other professional boxers involved will be unveiled at a press briefing in the first week of October 2025.
The Boxing Ambassador and licensed Promoter thanked the Governor of Enugu State Mr Peter Mbah and the speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt Hon Uche C. Ugwu for their contributions towards the success of the events and urged other South East States to emulate them.
