Kwesé partners Kalakoda to bring Salam vs. Gondarenda rematch to Lagos

Kwesé in partnership with Kalakoda Boxing Promotions is bringing the Friday Fight Nights series dubbed, Chaos in Lagos, to Nigeria on 26 October.

The bout is scheduled to take place at the Federal Palace Hotel in Victoria Island, Chaos in Lagos, will feature the much-anticipated rematch between Chomunorwa ‘Sting’ Gondarenda and Tony ‘Sugar’ Salam for Gondarenda’s WBF Africa Cruiserweight title.

Nigerian sports fans wanting to tune-in for all the live action will be spoilt for viewing options, thanks to Kwesé’s multiplatform broadcasting approach. Kwesé will provide full broadcast coverage of the event through satellite TV on channel 285 on the Kwesé TV bouquet, the Kwesé TV app linked to an active pay TV subscription, or Kwesé Free Sports UHF channel 32,as well as the Kwesé iflix mobile app. For viewers outside Nigeria, Kwesé has signed sublicense agreements with various free-to-air (FTA) broadcasters across the continent, to ensuremillions of viewers across the continent can enjoy free access to the fight wherever they are. The event will also be streamed on YouTube Live.

Salam and Gondarenda fought in August to a disputed decision in Harare where Gondarenda retained his belt on a split decision. Immediately after the fight Gondarenda said that he would fight Salam again, “any time any place,” this time it will be in Salam’s backyard with neutral judges agreed by both camps.

The fight is a contrast of styles with Gondarenda the come forward fighter, and Salam the slick counter puncher, fighting often on the back foot. Salam will need to be more definitive in his approach, he clearly landed the cleaner blows, but it was the Zimbabwean champion’s relentless aggression and ring control that perhaps swayed the judges during their first match up.

“The Friday Fight Night series has been successfully staged across the continent, it is now Nigeria’s turn to roll out the red carpet and put on an exceptional sporting display. As a premium sports destination, Kwesé is proud to once again provide full broadcast coverage of yet another first-class sporting event. This is one event sports fans do not want to miss, thanks to our multiscreen broadcasting options, they won’t have to,” expressed General Manager for Kwesé TV in Nigeria Elizabeth Amkpa.

The remainder of the bill features some of Nigeria’s and West Africa’s top boxers who frequently fight in the USA and Europe, and provides the opportunity to show off their skills in front of home fans. Kalakoda Promotions partnership with LPMG Management and Don King Productions have made such fighters available for the occasion, with a long-term view of unleashing the untapped potential of Nigeria and Lagos as a fight destination.

The likes of Ghana’s Habib Ahmed and Cruiserweight Olanrewaju Duradola will all feature on a stacked undercard. Notable fighters also competing are Namibia’s Lukas Ndafoluma at Middleweight as well as a ladies’ bout featuring Nigeria’s Edith Ogoke squaring up against Kenya’s Florence Muthoni. This provides a unique occasion where some of Africa’s best will fight on home soil and get visibility across the continent.

“We are extremely excited about launching the Friday Fight Night platform into Nigeria, it’s a critical market to crack and it will be a process, we are keen to get stuck in and build both a fan base and a stable of Nigerian boxers” said Jeremy Bean of Kalakoda Promotions.

Friday Fight Nights are staged on the last Friday of every month at venues across African cities showcasing the cream of pan-African boxing talent over a 3-hour live broadcast on Kwesé Free Sports.  The events include performances from the best DJ’s and musicians on the continent, creating a fusion of African pop culture, boxing and live music for a full multi-sensory fan experience.

Tickets are available at afritickets.com and doors open at 6.00pm with broadcast scheduled to kick-off at 8.00pm.

Boxing fans can also visit their nearest Kwesé branded store(s) to purchase a decoder and dish for N10,960, inclusive of one-month free subscription, to catch the fight on the Kwesé TV bouquet.

 To find out how to subscribe to Kwesé visit www.kwese.com or download the Kwesé iflix app available on the App Store or Google Play.

Anthony Nlebem