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Nigerian heavyweight, Raphael Akpejiori has already visualised how a world title fight with Anthony Joshua would bring his nation to a standstill.
“I can guarantee that the whole country would be tuned in. I can guarantee that the whole of Africa will be tuned in,” Akpejiori tells Sky Sports.
“I’ve actually thought about the prospect of that, I still have a lot of work to do.”
The unbeaten 29-year-old wants his name to resonate in boxing’s top division after his imposing 6’8” frame and athleticism brought him from Lagos to Florida.
He has already excelled in college basketball at the University of Miami, where he also bolstered the ranks of their American football team with his strength and size.
But Akpejiori quickly reveals: “I actually always loved fighting. I don’t know if that’s a good thing, but when I was in secondary school in Nigeria I fought like every other day.”
Years on from hurling fists in a schoolyard, he has opted to trade brutal punches with the biggest men in boxing.
His raw credentials caught the eye of trainer Glen Johnson, the battle-scarred Jamaican, who famously toppled Roy Jones Jr to become IBF light-heavyweight champion.
Since then, he has acquired six professional victories all by knockout, with only one opponent reaching the second round. Had Akpejiori easily earned the approval of Johnson.
