Salita Promotions is proud to announce that exciting, undefeated Ghanaian prospect Prince Octopus Dzanie officially entered the IBF’s world rankings for 118-lb bantamweight fighters this month at #11.

Dzanie (now 22-0, 18 KOs) was last seen battering veteran countryman Sherif Kareem (9-3, 7 KOs) over five one-sided rounds at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Ghana. Before turning professional in 2012, the long-armed power puncher was a three-time Ghanaian Champion and an All-Africa Bronze Medalist. He also represented his homeland of Ghana at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing China.

Dzanie is now a world-rated fighter, fighting under the respected Salita promotional banner, with well-known manager Vinny Scolpino of VMS Management handling business and his trainers from the prestigious Akotoku Boxing Academy that has already produced such boxing legends as Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, David “Poison” Kotey, Hector Clottey, Judas Clottey, Kpakpo Allotey and late Alfred Kotey.

“I thank my promoter and management team for getting me into the world rankings of the IBF at the number 11,” said an excited Dzanie. “It is a great step toward realizing my dream of becoming a world champion and I’ll work hard till the dream is achieved!”

“I am really happy that Prince is now ranked in the top 15,” said Vincent Scolpino, who has also worked with well-known veteran Hank Lundy and dangerous featherweight contender Eric Hunter from Philadelphia. “Opportunities are now closer than ever for Prince to get a tittle shot and bring another would champion to Ghana. I can’t wait to get him into that big fight.”

Promoter Salita says he’s happy with Prince’s progress since signing him earlier this year. “Prince is the best fighter coming out of Africa right now, a continent growing with opportunities and in need of a boxing star like Azumah Nelson or Ike Quartey,” said Salita. “Prince has the skills and personality to be King of the Bantamweight division, I believe his reign is right around the corner. I’m happy the IBF has chosen to bring him into their important rankings.”

The current IBF Bantamweight Champion is Japan’s Naoya Inoue. Inoue is the unified IBF & WBA Champion.

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About Salita Promotions

Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YOUTUBE CHANNEL for regular updates of the modern world’s greatest fighters, contenders and prospects in action.

Salita Promotions’ newest red-hot bantamweight contender, Prince “Octopus” Dzanie (22-0, 18 KOs), is looking for a marquee fight in North America after stopping Nigerian journeyman Sherif Kareem (9-3, 7 KOs) in five one-sided rounds earlier this month at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana.

Appearing as one of the chief supporting bouts at promoters Jose Mohan and Alex Ntiamoah Boakye’s GH Fight Night, Dzanie (pronounced Johnny) sent a clear message to fans and foes alike that he has past the level of his domestic competition by dominating the entire fight with ripping hooks to the head and body and a steady stream of will-sapping uppercuts.

By round five, Kareem, who had done well just to survive that long by using employing a careful peekaboo defense, began to wilt under the heavy fire and was mercifully rescued as Dzanie continued to pour on the abuse. The official time was not announced.

Fighting for the second time under the Salita Promotions banner after signing with them earlier in 2021, the tall and lanky Dzanie looks to have the kind of strength to compete with any of the 118-lb division’s hardest hitters.

“I felt very strong in the ring,” said Dzanie, post-fight. “I knew I was hurting him with every punch and I knew sooner or later he would fall. I’m ready for a step up to the world-class leagues where I can meet my destiny of becoming world champion!”

Promoter Dmitriy Salita says The Octopus will be bringing his massively powerful gloved tentacles to the US in the near future.

“I believe Dzanie is the best prospect coming out of Africa and has the potential to follow in the footsteps of legends like Azuma Nelson and Ike Quartey,” said Salita. “He mows down opponents because he has the size and strength of a lightweight and no one can take his punches. I’m looking for some very big developments for this young fighter in the very near future. Congratulations to him for a very impressive performance.”

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Check the Salita Promotions YouTube Channel for regular video updates of boxing’s greatest legends, its best fighters, toughest contenders and brightest prospects in action.

After his victory last weekend, Salita Promotions newest promotional signee, undefeated Ghanaian Prince Octopus Dzanie, says his next step is to relocate to the US and put the squeeze on today’s top super bantamweights.

Dzanie, now 22-0, 18 KOs, stayed busy in Ghana last Saturday night by battering veteran countryman Kamarudeen Boyefio (11-10) over six rounds.

The two 122-lb fighters came out swinging in the first, with Dzanie getting the better of things. With his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses properly gauged after the first, Dzanie switched over to boxing mode and used his excellent jab to pick Boyefio apart at range while strafing him with powerful combinations, almost at will. In the sixth, Dzanie had seen enough and turned up the heat on the sagging Boyefio, who sank to the canvas for the 10 count near the end of the round.

“It’s a great pleasure for me whenever I win in the ring,” said a happy Dzanie, post-fight. “My opponent was an experienced and very tough fighter, but I always find a way. This win starts a new chapter of my career and is also a warning to the champions in the world stage. Big thanks to my trainers from Akotoku Boxing Academy for the words of encouragement and a big shout out to TMM Sports Promotion for linking me up with my new management team VMS Inc. and to Salita Promotions for helping me become a world champion very soon for my nation and my team.”

What comes next for the former Olympian and highly touted prospect is securing the proper visas and heading to the US to continue fine-tuning for an assault on the top of the division.

“Prince Octopus is one of the brightest prospects in boxing,” said his new promoter, Dmitriy Salita. “Vinny Scolpino (Dzanie’s manager) and I are doing the paperwork to bring him over here where he can get world-class sparring and start building his reputation in North
America. The fans are going to love watching “The Octopus” fight. He’s the kind of ferocious puncher that people love to watch. He can get you with one shot or, like he did Saturday, grind an opponent down with his constant combinations. He really is like fighting an octopus.”

Dzanie says he’s eager to get started on his march to the world title.

“Soon, I’ll be in America, where champions are made and dream come true.”

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Check the Salita Promotions YouTube Channel for regular video updates of boxing’s greatest legends, its best fighters, toughest contenders and brightest prospects in action.

Salita Promotions proudly announces the signing of former Ghanaian Olympian and highly touted super bantamweight prospect, Prince Octopus Dzanie, to an exclusive promotional contract.

A native of his country’s capital city of Accra, the undefeated Dzanie (21-0, 17 KOs) is a tall (5’9”), rangy fighter with excellent power and, similar to his all-time-great countryman Ike Quartey, a busy, piston-like left jab that sets up his often fight-ending right hands.

Octopus was a name given to him at birth by his grandfather, a former fighter who fought under the same moniker. Dzanie went 87-15 as an amateur and was a three-time Ghanaian Champion and an All-Africa Bronze Medalist before representing Ghana at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing China. He also spent time training in Canada with Emile Awe Rudan and former Olympic bronze medalist Chris Johnson.

As a professional, he is trained by Abdul Ramany Iddrisu and managed by well-known boxing insider Vincent Scolpino of VMS Boxing. He won the WBO Africa Bantamweight Championship in 2017 with an eight-round knockout over countryman Isaac Quaye.

“The road to becoming a world champion is long when you’re in Ghana, but all the necessary preparation has been done here,” said the confident Dzanie, “Getting signed on to VMS and Salita Promotions means I’ll be a world champion in just a few fights.”

Scolpino, who with Dzanie is hoping to match the work he did with Ghanaian former two-time bantamweight world champion Joseph ‘King Kong’ Agbeko, says he’s optimistic about the pact with Salita.

“I’m pleased that we have signed a promotional agreement with Salita Promotions, one of the premier up-and-coming promotional companies,” said Scolpino. “I’m sure they will move him into a title shot. I saw the potential in Prince Octopus, that’s why I signed him to a long-term management agreement. I know he has the power to become a world champion.”

One great Ghanaian warrior, perhaps the greatest of all time, who already believes in Dzanie is two-weight world champion Azumah Nelson, who says he likes his countryman’s chances on the world stage.

“Prince Octopus Dzanie is a tough boxer with a hunger for glory, who will take the world by storm,” said Nelson. “He is clearing every obstacle to become world champion.”

New promoter Salita, known for his work with bringing several international prospects to successful runs in the United States, says Dzanie is a blue-chip prospect with tremendous possibilities.

“Prince Octopus Dzanie is that rare fighter tucked away across the globe who can make a big splash over here,” said Salita. “I’d like to thank him and his manager Vinny for bringing him to my attention. I’m excited for the work we will be doing to bring Prince to his dreams of a world championship.”

This weekend, Dzanie will have his first fight under the new promotional banner by taking on veteran countryman Kamarudeen Boyefio on the 15th. Salita says plans are already underway to bring him to the United States to live and train.

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Check the Salita Promotions YouTube Channel for regular video updates of boxing’s greatest legends, its best fighters, toughest contenders and brightest prospects in action.