McCauley Wycliff
Member
Kenya's Africa middleweight champion Rayton Okwiri (6-0-1) says he is unfazed by the vast record of his Colombian opponent Fidel Monterrosa Munoz who has won 39 fights, lost 25, and drew once.
Okwiri will slug it out with Munoz in a scheduled eight-round non-title-fight slated for Portland Maine in the United States of America on Saturday.
The 33-year-old Colombian fights from the orthodox stance and turned professional in 2006.
``I'm not bothered by my opponent. He won't even last eight rounds because I'm in good shape now,'' Okwiri said.
Okwiri left the country in May for more intensive training in the United States in preparation for a series of fights lined up for him in the US and in East Africa.
He first landed in Cancun, Mexico for intensive physical conditioning training with Namibia's Walter Kautondokwa before moving to Boston for a sparring camp.
Okwiri's fight is being promoted by Michael Reyes of Reyes Boxing Inc.
The2016 Rio Olympics quarter-finalist is now based in Boston on a five-year managerial contract with Raynelo Management who are partners with Reyes Boxing Inc.
``I liked the physical conditioning camp in Mexico but the hot weather was not favourable for my training. In Boston everything is okay. PromoterMichael has taken good care of me and I'm living like a champion. I thank Mike for all this and I promise not to let him down on Saturday,'' he said.
The Kenyan southpaw boxer last fought on December 14, 2019, at Nairobi's Charter Hall. He retained his ABU title by outpointing Augustine Matata from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in a 10-round dominant fight.
Okwiri has won all his six fights including 4 KOs and one draw since turning professional four years ago.
In his fifth fight in June 2019, Okwiri captured the vacant Africa Boxing Union (ABU) middleweight title with a third-round KO over Tanzania's Hussein Itaba at the Charter Hall.
Promoter Michael Reyes is impressed by Okjwiri's progress so far in training.``Rayton has been improving every day. He has learned to sit down on his punches and is going hard in sparring,'' said Reyes.
``Based on the current middleweight breakdown with the great champion, I believe Rayton will be in the mix and in the top ten worldwide by this time next year.''
Okwiri said his burning ambition is to become a world champion before he's 40 years old.``Between now and 40, I promise my fans I'll win a world title, that's my eventual goal in pro boxing. I am capable of doing it judging from difficult opponents I've beaten in amateur boxing and in Aiba professional boxing.''
He said he prefers training in the US because of tough sparring partners unlike in Kenya where he lacks stiff competition during sparring sessions.