Former WBO super bantamweight champion, Isaac Dogboe, has described his journey as a “Hollywood blockbuster movie.”
The Ghanaian fended off a relentless Joet Gonzalez, winning via a split decision on Saturday night to earn a featherweight title shot.
Dogboe, (24-2, 15 KOs), won the fight 96-94 on the scorecards of judges Tim Cheatham and Mike Fitzgerald, while judge Patrick Morley scored Gonzalez a 96-94.
The win puts the 27-year-old in a position to fight Emanuel Navarrete a third time.
Gonzalez, ranked number one among the WBO’s contenders for Navarette’s would now make way for the Ghanaian who becomes Navarrete’s mandatory challenger after defeating Gonzalez (25-3, 15 KOs).
“I said to the people that my journey can be a Hollywood blockbuster movie, and I praise God always,” he said after the fight.
Navarrete defeated Dogboe back-to-back in December 2018 and May 2019. The Mexican won the first via unanimous decision, before dropping him twice and stopping him in the 12th round in a rematch five months later.
The Ghanaian has since won four straight fights since Navarrete beat him in their rematch, and he’s open to a new challenge.
“Whoever the champions are, they should watch out. The ‘Royal Storm,’ I am back, baby!” he called out.
Dogboe’s fight against Gonzalez was a WBC elimination bout, which also puts him in contention to fight WBC’s mandatory challenger for its newly crowned featherweight champion, Rey Vargas (36-0, 22 KOs).
The ‘Royal Storm’ reckons with his trainer in his corner, he has no issues.
“I have always seen [trainer] Barry [Hunter] as a very inspirational person, a father figure.
“He’s a person that when it seems like it’s all gone, he always has something to say to you. I really needed him in my corner.
“He was able to pull that extra strength in me out,” he said.
Source: My Joy Online
