Wale “Lucky Boy” Omotoso

The future looks bright and lucky for undefeated Nigerian prizefighter Wale “Lucky Boy” Omotoso (18-0, 16 KOs). The 26-year-old world welterweight contender has been based the past few years in Australia, but he recently moved to Los Angeles, where he’s being guided by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

Nnamdi “Hollywood” Moweta

In an interview with Nnamdi “Hollywood” Moweta, VOA’s undisputed Reigning Prince of Pugilistics, “Lucky Boy” said he definitely feels lucky to be taught by someone like Roach, who is also the trainer for Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao.  Omotoso said it’s a dream come true to have Roach in his corner.

Australian boxing promoter and trainer Murray Thomson was in Omotoso’s corner in Australia.  “Lucky Boy” described Thomson as a good man who helped him become a top-ranked welterweight, but to reach his full potential, he had to come to the USA and get more exposure and bigger paydays.

“The way to move forward is to come to America,” says Omotoso.  “If you’re a fighter, and you want to become a world champion, you have to be in the United States.  And you have to train in the USA and fight in the USA.”

Looking back on his 18-bout pro career, “Lucky Boy” says one of his easiest fights came in 2008 against another African, Cameroon-born Samuel Colomban.  Omotoso won a 10-round, unanimous decision.
Wale “Lucky Boy” Omotoso says one of his favorite fighters is Floyd Mayweather Jr., who will take on fellow-American and WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz September 17th. Only time will tell if Omotoso wins a world title like Mayweather, one of the top pound-for-pound boxers of his generation. But Freddie Roach, for one, is very optimistic about Omotoso’s world-class skills in the ring: “He’s a great prospect and I think we’re gonna have a new Nigerian champion on our hands very soon.”