Ajagba reminds me of Foreman- Tyson’s ex-coach
Nigerian boxing prospect, Efe Ajagba reminds Ronnie Shields, a leading professional boxing trainer, of two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist, George Foreman and believes the 24 year-old Delta State born heavyweight can rule the division in the future.
George Foreman is famous for his fight with an aging underdog, Mohammed Ali, in what is now know as ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’ in 1974. In Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), the then undefeated Foreman suffered his first defeat as a professional to Ali via a 8th round knockout in what has been dubbed “arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th century”.
Undefeated in seven fights, Efe Ajagba will fight Santino Turnbow in a six-round heavyweight affair at the Barclays Center, New York on Saturday, December 22 with Shields at his corner.
Shields, in an interview with premierboxingchampions.com said: Efe has the build of an NBA power forward, a Karl Malone type, because he is that athletic. He doesn’t even have all his man strength yet, since he’s just 24. He reminds me of George Foreman in a power sense—again, in the power sense.
Shields, in an interview with premierboxingchampions.com said: Efe has the build of an NBA power forward, a Karl Malone type, because he is that athletic. He doesn’t even have all his man strength yet, since he’s just 24. He reminds me of George Foreman in a power sense—again, in the power sense.
The coach, who has coached the likes of Mike Tyson, Evander Holy-field in the past added that Ajagba can become a world champion in the future.He said: “We are grooming this kid (Ajagba) to be champion of the world for a very long time. “Efe talks the part, looks the part, fights like the part, and he is the part,
“This kid is everything that you see, and I rarely say that about any fighter just by looking at them.
“My first impression of him was to look up, because he’s a legitimate 6-foot-6 with power. All I have to do is polish him up. He has a powerful right hand, but his left hand is just as lethal as his right.”
“My first impression of him was to look up, because he’s a legitimate 6-foot-6 with power. All I have to do is polish him up. He has a powerful right hand, but his left hand is just as lethal as his right.”
Ajagba has six knockouts in seven fights which includes the fastest KO in boxing history when Curtis Harper walked out of their fight in August after touching gloves and the bell sounded to start the opening round.
Ajagba believes Harper knew what was going to happen in the ring and was afraid of him; a claim Harper denies, stating his decision to leave the ring was purely monetary.