Guyana champ challenges Ali's girl after Nigeria no-show

Monday, January 12, 2004

ABUJA, Nigeria (AFP): The top female middleweight in the Caribbean, Guyanan champ Gwendolyn Oneil, has vowed to seek out and beat Mohammed Ali's daughter Laila after the most famous name in boxing ducked out of a planned fight.

The 24-year-old professional took to the ring alone in Nigeria's National Stadium on Saturday after Ali pulled out of a six-round bout dubbed "The Battle of Hope," organised to promote AIDS awareness in Africa's most populous country.

"Laila Ali has run away from me, but sooner or later, one day, I'll find her and I'll knock her out. Nigeria, I love y'all!" she declared, as cheers rang out around the 60,000-seat stadium. 

Organisers said that Ali had had problems with her flight arrangements from the United States and had pulled out from the lucrative prizefight after deciding she would not have time to acclimatise to the African climate.

Ali has won all 16 of her bouts since turning professional, 13 of them by knockouts, as she bids to follow in the mighty footsteps of her father, the former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. 

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