Mathias Ashitey, Ghana’s reigning Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Boxer of the Year, says his championship ambitions are far from satisfied and he is already training with the goal of defending that prestigious title in 2026.
Speaking in an exclusive interview after the 2026 Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) National Individual Amateur Boxing Championship, the Black Panthers bantamweight, who was also voted the fans’ best boxer on the night, said he refuses to let success make him complacent.
“My best is yet to come,” he said flatly.
Ashitey won the SWAG Boxer of the Year award for 2025 and reinforced that standing with a commanding display in the bantamweight division, defeating Caleb Mensah of Wisdom Boxing Club in the final at the Bukom Boxing Arena on February 27. He noted that he and Mensah have now met five times, with two of those being exhibition bouts, and said he respects his rival for the quality he brought to their latest encounter.
“I have met Caleb Mensah five times, two were exhibition bouts and I have won the rest, but he is also good and I salute him for giving me a good fight that made the fans see my capabilities and abilities,” he said.
Ashitey also addressed scenes of crowd disorder that marred parts of the championship, appealing to fans to trust the process and allow officials to resolve disputes through proper channels.
“The ring officials know their work so the fans must be calm and watch proceedings in peace. If there is any issue it would be solved amicably but not through force or violence,” he urged.
The Visual Arts student at Kinbu Senior High School (SHS) credited coach Ebenezer Adjei, known widely as Killer, as the driving force behind the club’s golden night. He revealed that Adjei issued a stern warning to the three Black Panthers finalists before competition started, telling them they would be dropped from the gym if they failed to win. All three delivered.
Ashitey sharpened his international credentials at the 2024 International Boxing Association (IBA) World Youth Championship in Montenegro, where he won his opening bout in the flyweight 51kg division to reach the round of 16. He then went further, claiming Ghana’s first gold medal at the 2025 African Youth Boxing Championship. He said competing at both tournaments taught him the clear difference between local and international boxing and the adjustments required to succeed at the highest level.
Now he, Ebenezer Ankrah, and Ibrahim Doku have set a collective target: gold at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The three said they are motivated in part by the story of Joseph Commey, who fell ill at the last Commonwealth Games and could not claim the gold that was within reach.
“We promised our coach Ebenezer Adjei and fans, and we nailed it. We are going for the gold that Jaguar left behind,” Ashitey said.
