It’s been 6 years since the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ Samuel Peter lost his WBC Heavyweight title to Vitali Klitschko and hope seemed never in sight for another Nigerian heavyweight champion to emerge in a long time, but no, Lateef ‘Power’ Kayode emerges from the oblivion of world boxing to fight the Cuban Luis Ortiz for the vacant Interim WBA Heavyweight title.
Both boxers are undefeated with similar records. While Kayode boasts of a 20-16-1-0 record, Ortiz himself holds a respectable record of 21-18-0 and on paper both fighters look evenly matched. It’s all set for the September 11th fight at the famous Hard Rock in Las Vegas.
“I felt confident that my chance at a world title would come. My country is waiting for me to bring the title home.” says Kayode.
His impressive rise has been down to hard work, discipline and of course, his rough experiences growing up on the streets of Surulere. “Buy me something at the store, or you could just give me your money.” Kayode recalls how he ceaselessly got bullied by street thugs.
“If you didn’t give them your money, they beat you up. If you bought them things, it only made them want to keep coming back to you. That’s why I needed to learn how to fight.” says Kayode.
When Kayode felt he had enough of the beatings, he hit the famous boxing gym of the nearby National Stadium in Surulere and that was where it all began. He asked trainers to teach him how to defend himself, but the teenage Kayode suddenly became more than a student. He learned so fast in a short time, made impressions on his trainers that they quickly made him a sparring partner for local amateur fighters.
The newly-metamorphosed Kayode was now a different person. He walked freely without being harassed by thugs for his money. “Now that I knew how to fight, the gangs stopped bothering me. That’s how I got my nickname; my power came from the streets”
A golden opportunity presented itself in 2005 when the amateur champion decided to quit boxing and Kayode was asked to take his spot. He gladly accepted and won gold at the Pan African competitions in Ghana, Morocco and Algeria. Kayode would later join two other Nigerian teammates in 2008 for a trip to Chicago, to participate in a tournament that could qualify them for the Beijing Olympics. Unfortunately for them, their flight was delayed and by the time they arrived Chicago, the tournament had started. That was the beginning of his frustrations in the U.S. The three boxers decided to stay back in the U.S to make something out of their careers. It was not going to be easy.
They went from being duped by unscrupulous agents to being repeatedly disappointed by people they trusted to help them.
“A Nigerian man told me he was a promoter; he had me come to New Jersey to train. He lied to me”. It turned out this fellow Nigerian was nothing more than a con man who attempted to “sell Kayode’s rights” to another incognito “handler.” Kayode, upon discovering the truth, was incensed. “I was new and I didn’t know English that well back then, so they tried to take advantage of me.”
This incident was the beginning of a forgettable escapade that caused Kayode to travel up and down the east coast. From there, he moved to Atlanta, then to Baltimore and then later back to Atlanta-squatting with various acquaintances in the process.
His luck was soon about to change for good. “I was ready to go home because nothing was going on,” remembered Kayode. “Then I got a call.”
While surfing the net, one of his teammates came across Nigerian trainer Young Dick Tiger (nephew of former middleweight champ Dick Tiger) in Los Angeles. He contacted Kayode’s other teammate, still staying in Atlanta, and the three made another fateful decision.
“The three of us reunited and travelled together to Los Angeles,” said Kayode. “Everything was good with Dick Tiger, but some things happened. One of my teammates had problems with his eye so [he] couldn’t continue fighting, and the other started a family, so he stopped boxing too.”
Years down the line, Kayode has racked up 19 victories from 20 professional fights, 16 of those from a knockout and 1 fight ended in a draw. He holds the WBO NABO and NABF titles at Cruiserweight and is currently ranked 5th in WBA’s Top Ten heavyweight ranking.
It all comes down to one fight, one night in Las Vegas, against an equally strong opponent in Luis Ortiz. The Cuban is currently ranked 3 places higher than Lateef in WBA’s Top Ten heavyweight ranking.
He’s a southpaw, bigger, taller and undefeated. He weighs in at 233 pounds, more than 10 pounds heavier than Kayode. Regardless, Kayode is a more technical fighter. His style is well adaptable to fights like this, his speed and combination would trouble Ortiz.
At the end of the fight, the WBA will have 3 heavyweight champions. A WBA Interim Heavyweight title is the prize, the title that puts the winner close to the Super Champion Wladimir Klitschko and closer to the Regular Champion Ruslan Chagaev.