18.02.06 – By Per Ake Persson: Belgian welter Jackson Osei Bonsu, 21-1, is looking to make 2006 the year he gets his big breakthrough. Osei Bonsu have had some problems in getting the “right” fights due to his fearsome power and a lack of promotional backing but that has changed as of lately. He kindly took time out for an interview.
Q: When is your next fight?
A: It´s not certain yet, it could be March 18 in Monte Carlo in a non title fight or March 17 in London where I might challenge for the Commonwealth title.
Q: Is the Commonwealth title open to Belgians?
A: No, (laughs) but I am from Ghana, I came to Belgium ten or eleven years ago, my father lives here so it was natural for me to come here, I reside in Antwerp.
Q: Did you start boxing back in Ghana?
A: No, I started here in Belgium, I won a few regional titles and the national championship in the amateurs and turned pro in 2001.
Q: You are the mandatory challenger for EU champ Michel Trabant, any idea on when this fight will happen – or if it will happen?
A: I don´t think he wants it but if it happens I will have to knock him out because it is so difficult to win decisions in Germany. But the fight I want is to get the winner of the Klose vs Lauri fight for the EBU title.
Q: Which is your best punch?
A: It´s a secret (laughs), but I can punch hard with both hands.
Q: What do you need to improve on?
A: I need to get more experience, better sparring, here in Belgium that is difficult so I will probably go to London for that.
Q: I understand you are now with the Maloney team?
A: Yes, my trainer is Renald DeVulder and he is also my co-manager along with Philippe Fondu and then I´m promoted by the Maloneys, I did my debut for them February 11.
Q: How was that?
A: I felt good of course, I won in the first round, my opponent went over from a body shot. It was a very easy fight.
Q: Which is your best fight yet?
A: When I stopped Fabrice Colombel in 2003, I had a different management than now and I didn´t have time to prepare but I fought hard, broke him down and won. I also beat Maxim Nesterenko and Mikhail Krivolapov.
Q: What happend in your sole loss (a tko defeat to tough Frenchman Abdel Mehidi)?
A: Again, I didn´t have time to prepare, I also had a bad cold and ran out of gas. I had no energy. I want to fight him again but been told he´s retired but now I hear he is coming back so it might happen.
Q: What are your career goals?
A: I want to be a world champion in any of the major organisations, make ten defences and then move up in weight. I´m prepared to go anywhere to make it happen, I´m a professional boxer and ready for anyone.
Q: What do you do outside of boxing?
A: Here in Belgium it´s difficult to be a fulltime pro, so I work as a computer design specialist and used to be an electrician.