NEW TERRITORY
BOXING promoters have always experimented with exotic destinations. Sometimes, they have uncovered new markets. Sometimes, they have flopped. And sometimes, they have created history.
Arguably boxing’s best-known fight came about when Don King did a deal with a dictator and took the most famous man in the world to fight on the fringes of the West African jungle.
When Muhammad Ali regained the world heavyweight championship, beating George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1974, it instantly became part of sports folklore.
While the Rumble in the Jungle was only ever intended to be a one-off – an outrageous propaganda piece by Zaire’s autocrat president, Mobuto Sese Seko – its commercial success did not go unnoticed. Nor did the wider potential of its setting.
Africa has always been viewed as an untapped goldmine by prospectors in various industries. It draws boxing promoters, too.
“The boxing talent in Africa is in abundance, but it’s very challenging to produce world class events,” says Scott Farrell, the British-born CEO and founder of Global Boxing Stars (GBS), a Botswana-based promotion launched in 2019 and which has staged three shows in Tanzania.
“However, recently there has been a shift and companies like Probellum have started adding international branding, including many parts of Africa. This is a good step to showcasing the talent in Africa.
“One reason we don’t see more African stars on the global scene is the visa process. If they had passports that allowed them to go pretty much anywhere, I would confidently say African boxers would hold most of the belts.
“But this isn’t going to change any time soon, so the best chance we have is to build our own promotions and broadcast African talent to the world.”
GBS is therefore looking to develop boxers – and a fanbase –
