By Prince Dornu-Leiku: Sugar Ray Narh has not given up on the dream of becoming a world champion, even if potential opponents continue to run away from fighting him. It took him nearly a year to finally get a first defence of the WBC/USNBC title he won in April last year out of the way.
But the Ghanaian says last week’s unanimous decision win over former world champion Freddy Norwood could finally open up opportunities to take on any of the big boys of the light-welterweight division of world boxing. “We are hoping that those who call themselves world champions like Amir Khan, Timothy Bradley, Soto, Manuel Marques, Zab Judah, Brandon Rios will all give us a chance at their titles. We are waiting to hear from them,” a confident and ready Narh has told SportsInGhana.com from his US base.
The man nicknamed the Emperor has a tremendous knock-out record of 21 from 25 victories but the run of seven straight victories by the short route was curtailed against Norwood who lasted the full ten rounds in the March 4 fight. So is Ray Narh tired of knocking opponents out or was it a plot to lure opponents not to get scared of fighting him?
“I’m not tired of knocking dudes out, the guy I fought was a tough son of a gun and a legend you know. He thought he will take me into the deep waters (late rounds) and drown me but that didn’t happen because I was way ahead on points. At times it’s good to go the full distance so you can learn how to hold your own when the going gets tough,” the Emperor explained.
Instead the Ghanaian is counting the positives from fighting the 40 year old Norwood, an experience and lessons he hopes will be of use in future bouts. “I learnt so much from that fight and am glad I fought a former WBA two time world champ. Freddie was a hard nut to crack but one way or the other I found a way to whip him,” the 32 year old Ghanaian said.
As he continues to fight and yearn for a shot at a world title, Narh says he wants to do it all for the homeland, even if he has stayed away from Ghana for so long. “I want to thank my fellow Ghanaians for the way they supported me big time in my recent boxing match and also the belief and faith they got for me that I’ll be Ghana’s next world champion,” he says.
The WBC/USNBC Light welterweight champion added: “I am promising them all that I’m going to die to raise the nation’s flag high by winning the world title like I did when I won the (Commonwealth) gold medal for Ghana in 1998. So they should keep praying for me and I’ll be the next Azumah Nelson or Nana Yaw Konadu in Sugar Ray Narh that Ghana have been missing all this years. Yes I can do it through Christ who strengthens me. Amen.”