Lateef "Power" Kayode

Doing this weekly column can at times be bloody difficult, weeks come along where I'm scraping the barrel or a note worthy prospect, a decent youngster to write about, other weeks, like this one, sees so many young fighters fighting that it's hard to pick just a single one. In fact both Friday and Saturday could have their own piece for this week and I'd still miss some folks out. The week is irritatingly good, but also one of the most fun, and as a result, a double header. Their will be one column now (Sunday/Monday), a mid week piece and round up of the others in a completely separate piece.

Friday's prospect then, isn't a British born fighter, or an American born fighter, he's not an Olympic champion but he is exciting and can bang. Cruiserweight Lateef Kayode 12-0 (11) isn't the most technical of fighters you'll see any time soon, though as his record and nickname (“Power”) show, he has one of those key attributes, pure destructive punch power. Born in Lagos, Nigeria it seems Kayode is on a similar rise to that of fellow Nigerian Samuel Peter a few years ago, that culminated in Peter winning a heavyweight title.

Having been brought up and toughened up as a youngster in Lagos he would turn to boxing to find a way to protect himself from the repeated beating he'd gotten as a teenage, little did he realise what an impact the sport of boxing would have on him. It was as an amateur that he would start to forge a name for himself winning various African based tournaments though in his first attempt to make a major international mark things went awry. A plane he, and his Nigerian team mates were catching to Olympic qualifiers was delayed and it forced them to miss the qualification process. After deciding to turn professional in the US the search was on for someone to help and a chance meeting with manager Steven Feder started it all off. Feder would sign Kayode to his newly founded “Standing Eight” company, and the rest, as they say is history.

Standing Eight would see Kayode making his professional debut little under 2 years ago, 15th October 2008, facing the significantly bigger Mike Miller. Miller was 53lbs heavier than Kayode and durable having only been stopped once in 17 fights, it was this durability that saw Kayode forced to go the 4 round distance as a professional. Since then however opponents have struggled to test the muscular Nigerian power house who has scored 11 straight KO's in his subsequent bouts. He's gone from being a very small heavyweight at just over the cruiserweight limit to being a very big and incredibly strong cruiserweight, a division that seems much more suited to the Hollywood based fighter.

Although Kayode was fed relatively over matched opponents for much of his early career, who he blew out early doors, the interesting thing about his opponents is they really have been getting better. Fighters like the experienced Billy Willis are often given to much more experienced prospects, yet Lateef needed only 2 rounds to stop him, whilst heavy handed Jose Luis Herrera who had a record of 16-7 (16 wins by KO) was dealt with quickly. Interestingly Herrera fights on the same night against another rising prospect Jeremiah Graziano (12-0 all by KO) whilst Lateef takes another tough test. This time in the shape of Alfredo Escalera Jr who's record of 18-2-1 (12KOs) is intimidating (even if it is heavily padded) in a card that is being televised by Showtime on one of their ShoBox events.

With a win expected for the hard punching Nigerian it's perhaps time he joined the rising charge of Cruiserweights quickly rising through the ranks at the moment. A fight against BJ Flores would likely be the biggest American based fight either man could could currently get as the exodus to Germany of Steve Cunningham has been followed by Matt Godfrey travelling for a world title shot. Though what ever the future brings, “Power” is certainly capable of being a part of it.

The Shobox card will also feature unbeaten Americans clashing as Chris Avalos (16-0 with 13KO's) faces Christopher Martin (18-0-2 with 5KO's) in what should be a classy meeting of two youngsters with a lot to lose.