Ghanaian boxing legend, Joseph Agbeko has voiced his frustration over the prevalence of match-fixing and unethical practices in the Ghanaian boxing industry.
Agbeko, who has observed these issues firsthand, criticized the practice of building boxers by giving them easy fights to artificially inflate their records.
He indicated that, this approach does more harm than good, as it fails to adequately prepare boxers for tougher, more competitive bouts in the future.
According to Agbeko, the focus should be on developing boxers through challenging fights that truly test their skills and readiness.
Agbeko recounted a recent experience at a boxing event in Kwahu, where he witnessed two matches that were clearly fixed.
He was particularly embarrassed because he had brought a friend from the United States, who is well-versed in the sport, to the event.
In one of the matches, which featured two well-known boxers, Agbeko was looking forward to a competitive bout.
However, to his disappointment, one of the fighters pretended to be knocked down in a manner that was clearly staged.
This incident, he said, pointed the extent of the problem in Ghanaian boxing.
Agbeko warned that, such practices are detrimental to the sport and urged stakeholders to put an end to match-fixing and focus on building boxers the right way.