Zuffa Boxing
Etinosa Oliha | Inspired By Juventus | Zuffa Boxing 10
Italian World Title Challenger Grew Up Watching His Favorite Team Dominating Serie A. Now He Wants To Dominate The Zuffa Boxing Ring
Etinosa Oliha will look to follow in the footsteps of some of his sporting heroes when he challenges for world championship gold at Zuffa Boxing 10.
Italy’s Oliha will take on Ireland’s Aaron McKenna in the main event, with the pair set to do battle for the vacant world middleweight championship at Dublin’s 3Arena on Saturday night.
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It’s a big fight, and a huge opportunity for Oliha, who has earned his spot through his perfect 22-0 record. And as a native of the town of Asti, just 55 kilometers east of Turin, Oliha doesn’t have to look, or travel, far to find his sporting inspiration.
Born in Italy to Nigerian parents, Oliha quickly adopted Turin-based soccer giants and record-breaking 36-time champions of Italy Juventus as his team, and he grew up watching their incredible run of success where they won nine consecutive Serie A championships between the 2011/12 and 2020/21 seasons.
Ahead of fight night in Dublin, Oliha was presented with a special Juventus-branded WWE championship belt, and the 28-year-old’s eyes lit up when he realized what he’d been gifted.
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“It’s my favorite team,” he smiled. “I’ve been a fan of them since I was a little kid, since [Alessandro] Del Piero was playing for Juventus, so I’ve always been a Juventus fan.”
Now Oliha has the chance to bring more silverware back to the region as he challenges for the vacant world middleweight championship on Saturday night at Zuffa Boxing 10. Victory would see him complete a journey to the top of a sport he went all-in on when he finished school as a teenager.
“I've been doing boxing since I was 14 years old, so I finished school at 18, and then I had to make like a decision whether to work or continue my boxing career, and I chose to continue my boxing career,” he said.
“I think this opportunity could be a great possibility for me to be known all over the world.”
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Oliha eventually turned pro in 2018 at the age of 19 and embarked on a run of form on Italian soil that took him to 16-0, with multiple Italian and international titles collected along the way.
Those successes saw Oliha’s career kick up a gear, as he competed in six successive bouts in Germany to take his career up to 22-0 (10 KOs). Now he’s signed to Zuffa Boxing, and in Ireland to compete for a world championship. It’s an opportunity he’s determined to take with both hands.
Etinosa Oliha: "In The Ring, It's Just Me And Him" | Zuffa Boxing 10
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Etinosa Oliha: "In The Ring, It's Just Me And Him" | Zuffa Boxing 10
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“It's what I've been dreaming of my whole career,” he explained. “So I can't wait to fight. This is the moment, and I have to give it my all.”
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The fight will see Oliha compete on enemy territory as he faces Ireland’s McKenna in Dublin’s 3Arena, which will be packed with Irish supporters on fight night. The famed Dublin atmosphere has affected plenty of visiting fighters in the past, but Oliha is adamant he won’t be added to that list as he hinted that he’s ready to spring an upset to silence the arena at the end of the night.
“It's gonna be blocked out, because once we're in the ring, it's just me and him, and that's it,” he said.
“I think it's going to be a great fight, because we have different styles. So I can't wait to be in the ring on August 8.”
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