Rayton Okwiri: Kenyan pro boxer returns to action, eyes world title bout

Kenya’s Africa middleweight champion Rayton Okwiri (6-0-1) returns to the ring on Saturday to take on Columbia’s Fidel Monterrosa Munoz (39-25-1) in an eight-round non-title fight in Portland, Maine, United States, a fight being promoted by Michael Reyes.

The 2016 Olympics quarter-finalist is now based in Boston on a five-year managerial contract with Raynelo Management, who are partners with Reyes Boxing Inc.

Okwiri left the country in May for more intensive training in the United States as he prepares for a series of fights lined up for him in the United States 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 sparring camp.

“I liked the physical conditioning camp in Mexico but the hot weather was not favourable for my training. In Boston everything is okay. Promoter Michael has taken good care me, I am living very well like a champion, I thank Mike for all this and I promise not to let him down on Saturday,” said Okwiri nicknamed Boom Boom.

Okwiri, 35, is not shaken by the record of his Colombian opponent Fidel Munoz, who has won 39 fights, lost 25 and drew once. The 33-year-old Colombian fights from the orthodox stance and turned professional in 2006.

“I am not bothered by my opponent, he won’t last eight rounds because I’m in good shape now,” said Okwiri who has dedicated Saturday’s fight to his bosses at Kenya Prisons.

Okwiri, a sergeant at Prisons Service, said he’s grateful for the support from his employer.

“The Commissioner General, his deputy Benjamin Njoga and Catherine Ndereba have boosted my morale in every way possible.

“I appreciate their kind gesture to allow me turn professional and retain my job, I am still in their payroll.”

The southpaw boxer last fought on 14th December 2019 at Nairobi’s Charter Hall, retaining his ABU title by out-pointing Augustine Matata from the Democratic Republic of Congo in a 10-round fight dominated by Okwiri.

Okwiri has won all his six fights, including four knock-outs and one draw since turning professional in February 2017 when he KO’d Tanzania’s Salehe Mkalekwa in the Fox Sports Promotion card in Nairobi.

In his fifth fight on 8th June 2019, Okwiri captured the vacant Africa Boxing Union 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 everyday. He has learned to sitdown on his punches and is going hard in sparring,” said Reyes.

“Based on the current middleweight breakdown with great champion I believe Rayton will be in the mix and a top 10 in the world by this time next year.”

Okwiri said his burning ambition is to become a world champion before he turns 40 years old.

“Between now and 40 I promise my fans I will 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. Some of his sparring partners in the US include WBO champion Demetrius Andrade, who in April this year, defeated Britain’s Liam Williams on a unanimous decision to retain his WBO middleweight title in Florida.

Andrade is unbeaten in 30 fights and is now keen on taking the division’s other champions such as Gennady Golovkin and Jermall Charlo.