Ghanaian boxer Bastie Samir has declared that he will retire from boxing if he loses a rematch against Nigerian boxer Rasheed Idowu.
In their previous bout, Rasheed secured victory over Bastie with a second-round knockout, claiming the vacant Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO) African Light Heavyweight title.
The fight concluded after the second knockdown, with Bastie losing consciousness momentarily until receiving medical attention.
Despite the defeat, Bastie is determined to seek a rematch, attributing his loss to what he alleges was a foul punch from Rasheed.
“The truth is that when he punched the back of my head, I shouldn’t have continued the fight but I continued to fight, and, that’s why it became a draw,” Bastie Samir said on Asempa FM.
At 37 years old, he expressed his desire for a rematch to redeem himself. Should he fail to defeat Rasheed, he plans to retire from boxing.
“I don’t want to talk about the whole issue; the mess has already happened. All I want now is a rematch. If he’s able to beat me in the rematch, then I will rate him as a champion.”
“I will give him a rematch and this time I am putting my boxing career on the line. If he beats me in the rematch, I will retire from boxing,” Bastie Samir said.
Initially, Rasheed Idowu’s victory was disputed despite twice knocking down Bastie Samir during their bout. However, the UBO ultimately declared him the winner, granting him the African Light Heavyweight title.