I first remember meeting charismatic Anges Adjaho in the fall of 2008 as the Benin, West African fighter had flown down to South Florida to serve as a sparring partner for then Lightweight champion Nate Campbell, who was getting ready for a fight with Dominican Joan Guzman at the time. While the Campbell-Guzman clash never came about I was still able to learn much about Adjaho during our time together and there is much that stands out about the 30-year old pugilist.
More than anything was just how much of a free spirit Adjaho was. A Lightweight contender at the time, Adjaho always had a smile on his face and could often be found joking around, signing, and dancing in his free time. Make no mistake about it, however, inside of the ring the African was serious about his work and had championship caliber tools to work with.
Adjaho?s sparring sessions with Campbell were very intense and he always held his own, giving the Jacksonville, Florida fighter trouble with his unorthodox attack and quickness. Throughout camp Campbell verbally berated Adjaho in and out of the ring but during sparring Anges always held his own and his ability was without question.
Adjaho would continue bouncing back and forth from his adopted home of Geneva, New York to Florida time and time again, whether for training camps or personal fights of his own. In 2009 Adjaho was showcased twice at the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, winning a unanimous decision over Fernando Angulo in February and losing via late stoppage to Antonio DeMarco five months later. In the DeMarco bout Adjaho started very well and seemed to be the superior fighter before faltering late and remaining on the canvas after an apparent rabbit punch in the 9th. Adjaho was counted out and despite crying foul was dealt with a loss on his record.
Following that setback in July Adjaho had some personal matters to deal with and relocated to Buffalo, New York and wasn?t heard from for quite some time. His loss to DeMarco was an eliminator and cost him a chance at recently deceased Edwin Valero’s WBC belt while also making many wonder about his personal future in the ring. It came as definite surprise when I read last week that Adjaho had been penciled in as a replacement to face off with Welterweight contender Mark Melligen this coming July 3rd in Reno, Nevada.
Melligen was hoping to avenge his November 2009 loss to Michel Rosales in which he dropped a split decision at the House of Blues inside of the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas but his Mexican foe pulled out for no apparent reason and hours later Adjaho was called into duty. Boxing is full of twists and turns and we now are days away from a one of the Philippines? brighter forces getting ready to tangle with one of the more engaging characters you will ever meet in the sport. Melligen has been training at Floyd Mayweather’s personal gym in Vegas and appears to be very focused.
While Adjaho?s skills are without question it is rather alarming to see him moving up two full divisions against a man who is much younger. While it may seem to be somewhat of an uphill battle, after reaching out to Adjaho this Thursday night I was told of his exact desires heading into the fight. First and foremost Adjaho feels that the move up in weight won?t be detrimental in the slightest.
?No it?s not big for me,? Adjaho refuted. ?I?m going to be the big man. I saw him fight before. He?s strong and young. [But] I have a lot of experience. I know how to take him. I?m going to take him like a young guy. I?m going to take him into the deep water and beat the s*** out of him. I?m going to take that fight.?
Adjaho?s loss to DeMarco was a bitter pill to swallow and many of Anges? closest friends weren’t able to keep up with him afterwards. Despite flying under the radar for nearly a year, Adjaho insists that he has been working rigorously and honing his skills while away in the shadows.
?Nobody has seen me for a long time,? Adjaho stated. ?Nobody knows how big I am now. He won?t be stronger than me. I was training for another fight and I have been in the gym. They showed me the fight and I said I was going to take it. I?m African, I?m a warrior too. I?m not scared of anybody.?
Many people are going to point to Melligen?s southpaw attack as a worrying point for Adjaho but a closer look at his past shows a history of working with quality lefties. Adjaho came to America in 2006 after signing a contract with Don King Productions and in the following years he put in solid work with such southpaws as Cory Spinks and Zab Judah. Elaborating further on his sessions with Judah, Adjaho says that he played a key role in the Brooklyn fighter withdrawing from a huge clash in May of 2008.
?I sparred with Zab,? Adjaho confirmed. ?After he sparred with me he pulled out of his fight with Shane Mosley because he got hurt. I was taking it to him. He got hurt and was bleeding all in the gym. That was tough. That was in Las Vegas.?
His confidence running high, Adjaho continued on and pointed to his legs, heart, and mobility as key reasons that he will be able to upend Melligen on the 3rd. Digging further into his bag of tricks, Adjaho even noted ?I have the best jab in the business, baby!’
Adjaho claimed that his times under King?s promotional banner were full of grief and he is now a free agent. While on the surface the Melligen-Adjaho clash may look like an outweighed fighter having to take a fight for money on short notice, Anges speaks with the die-hard passion of a true professional who is looking to shock the masses.
?I?m ready to go to war. I?m going to give my life in there.?
How serious of a threat is Anges ?Baby Face? Adjaho to Mark Melligen? He is a very live opponent, to say the least. For a picture by picture look at Adjaho in recent years please click on the image gallery below?
