'I will beat Bastie Samir' - Bukom Banku vows ahead of June 30 rematch

He may have suffered his first professional loss as a boxer in brutal fashion but Braimah Komoko (alias Bukom Banku) is adamant that he will give his conqueror Bastie Samir a taste of his own medicine when they cross paths for the second time on June 30.

The two boxers, who have remained inactive since their captivating clast last year put pen to paper for their much-anticipated rematch on Thursday (March 15) at the Old Kingsway opposite the Usher Fort in Accra.

“I thank Bastie Samir for giving me a rematch," a delighted Bukom Banku (28wins, 21KOs and 1 loss) said after signing the contract.

He added: "I admit I lost the first bout, but I want to tell Samir that my loss was of my own doing. This time he is not going to have his way. When I beat him there will be a third fight to settle matters.”

For his part, Samir indicated that there will be a repeat performance urging his fans to "rest assured".

“I won the first fight and I will beat him again in the rematch, I will not talk plenty. My fans should rest assured that Kamoko will go down again.”

Banku abandons retirement plans for revenge

In the aftermath of that devastating loss, Bukom Banku declared that he will no longer fight in Ghana but would rather campaign overseas because he had lost the love of the people and no longer felt safe.

The tough-talking boxer alleged that some people wanted him dead because of his political affiliation.

He suspected that the excitement generated after his loss to Samir could be traced to people who were uncomfortable with his political activities.

“I suspect some people want to kill me. They hate me because of the political party I belong to,” he told the Graphic Sports in an interview.

The comic boxer said he intended to relocate to the United Kingdom and ply his trade there, vowing never to fight in Ghana again.

However, it appears the lure of revenge, as well as another big payday, may have proved too strong for Bukom Banku.

Background

Braimah "Bukom Banku" Kamoko was defeated for the first time in his professional career by Bastie "The Beast" Samir in a non-title cruiserweight bout on October 21, 2017, in Accra.

Samir (16-0-1, 15 KO’s), 31, pulled-off the stunning upset over his tough-talking foe by knocking down Banku twice in seven breathless rounds of thrilling boxing in front of an electrified audience at the Bukom Boxing Arena.

The odds were heavily stacked against Samir heading into the clash - as he was moving up two weight classes from super middleweight to cruiserweight the bout which was tagged make or break by the organisers, Box Office Sports Promotions.

Aside from this, Banku, 37, also had a reach advantage over him and was more experienced, having fought almost twice as many bouts as Samir.