Rooney’s Boxing Gym: Ochieng Sparring With Bonsu In Belgium

Rising Light Middleweight star Erick ‘The Eagle’ Ochieng (3-0) has left his home in London to travel to Belgium to assist former IBC and European Welterweight Champion ‘Sugar Jackson’ Osei Bonsu prepare for his IBF welterweight eliminator against Randall Bailey on the 19th March.

Ochieng, who is proving to be quite a sensational discovery by veteran trainer manager Brian Lawrence, is already being tipped as a star of the future even though he has only had three professional fights.

On his debut ‘The Eagle’ convincingly dominated the proceedings against the vastly experienced Matt Scriven (13-54-0) winning every single round. His second fight, which he took with just over 24 hours notice, against the debuting Prince David Davis was a slightly closer affair, but still a very convincing win on his opponents home turf.

The resounding way Ochieng dealt with the highly experienced Jon Harrison (10-16-1) in only his third professional fight has made everyone sit up and take notice of this 22 year old from Stoke Newington.

The wily veteran Harrison used every trick in the book to try and halt Ochieng’s constant onslaught, as he took every opportunity to stifle and hold, but the patient Ochieng adjusted his fight plan and started working away on Harrison’s body until the opportunity arose to finish him off with the most vicious left hook in the second round.

After training with fellow Brian Lawrence charges, former European, British and Commonwealth Bantamweight Champion Ian ‘Dappa’ Napa and the new Southern Area Lightweight Champion Ben Murphy at Rooney’s Boxing Gym in South London, the ever cheerful Ochieng spoke of how the opportunity to spar with ‘Sugar Jackson’ came about. “My manager (Brian Lawrence) called Frank Warren to see if he could get me some more fights. He didn’t give me a fight right away but offered me some sparring with Jackson Osei Bonsu in Belgium.

Obviously I said yes to the sparring, he’s an ex-European Champion. I’m excited, you know. It’s an opportunity for me to learn a bit more, get more rounds under my belt, which will make me a better fighter.”

The IBF Welterweight eliminator between ‘Sugar Jackson’ Osei Bonsu and Randall Bailey is on Friday the 19th March at the Lotto Arena, Merksem, Antwerpen, Belgium.

The undercard for this event includes Selajdin Koxha Vs. Domingos Nascimento Monteiro for the vacant BeNeLux Super Middleweight title, Nefzi Ayoub against Jindrich Kubin in a Light Middleweight clash and in a battle of the Heavyweights Kertson Manswell takes on Werner Kreiskott.