SOUTH AFRICA: Laila Ali ready to rumble after her pre-fight weigh-in in South Africa.
- 00:01:06
- ITN Source
SOUTH AFRICA: Laila Ali ready to rumble after her pre-fight weigh-in in South Africa.
Probably the most talked about fight in the history of boxing took place in Africa, in 1974, when Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) to recover the world heavyweight crown. Another Ali - his 29-year-old daughter, Laila - arrived in Africa ready for a fight. Laila Ali is unbeaten in 23 professional bouts, 19 of which she won by knockout - a higher KO percentage than her father managed - and she aims to keep her streak going when she takes on Gwendolyn O'Neill at Emperor's Palace in Johannesburg on 3 February. The world super-middleweight champion told a press conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday (January 30) that she aimed to go one better on her previous encounter with O'Neill, whom she knocked out in the third round of their 2004 fight. This time, she said, she aims to do it in two rounds - although "Gwendolyn will be better-prepared this time and a more formidable opponent, so I'm not taking anything for granted." Ali is a heavy favourite to beat O'Neill, who sports a record of 12 wins, four losses and a draw, with seven knockouts. Since losing to Ali, O'Neill has fought three times and won, but the opposition has been less than stellar: she beat Margaret Walcott 1-5-1, Pamela London 4-2-1 and Krystal Lessey 1-9. But whatever the outcome on 3 February, Ali and O'Neill will have made South African boxing history. It will be the first time in the country that a fight between two women heads a bill which also features men. And not just any men: local hero Cassius Baloyi will be looking for his fifth world title when he takes on Argentina's Nazareno Ruiz for the vacant IBO junior lightweight title. Ali terms her father, who recently celebrated his 65th birthday, "an inspiration", but says he doesn't really approve of his daughter being a boxer, although he has come to realize that she is pretty good at what she does.
ITN Source | January 31, 2007
