From the foot to the hip, you’d be forgiven for thinking of another heavyweight. Long, athletic legs, bouncing off the canvas, met at the thigh by white trunks, decorated only by a single, vertical navy stripe at the side.
It’s simple; it’s classic. But those are huge shoes to fill.
Whilst paying homage to Muhammad Ali with his ring attire, this heavyweight prospect knows he is still very raw. Michael Pirotton-Bamogo (4-0, 2 KOs), fighting out of Liege, Belgium, spoke to Boxing Social about overcoming racism and channelling ‘The Greatest’ on his quest for heavyweight supremacy.
“Muhammad Ali is nothing but inspirational,” the unbeaten heavyweight proclaimed. “Even before I started boxing, I was fascinated by the way he refused to abide by any laws, any rules or any code if he thought that they were unfair. Starting by changing the way a black man was supposed to talk, to eventually refusing to go to Vietnam.
“For sure, Ali comforted me with the feeling that boxing was okay; Ali comforted me with the idea that we can use our strength to serve a bigger purpose. I wear the same shorts [in] homage, to show how much he meant to me, and also, I guess, looking like the prettiest athlete of the last century is good for my ego.”
His closing sentence is said entirely in jest – though, Pirotton-Bamogo does have plenty of personality. After recently signing a management deal with the affable and equally determined Michael Amoo-Bediako (of Streetwise Management), the Belgian-Burkina Faso national was ready to impress and prove the naysayers wrong. After all, that’s how he’d wound up in the gym in the first place.
“I never really tried boxing as a kid. The first time I got into the boxing gym was to take on a challenge from a friend who told me that I was the big guy at school, but in his gym, it would be different,” he said. “When I came in, the place was full of tough guys who weren’t really welcoming, but I wasn’t too impressed. At the beginning, I was not training seriously at all, that only started when I won my first fight the year after that – I was 18-years old.”
Pirotton-Bamogo continued, “I prefer speed over strength, intelligence over power, so I like to see myself as more of a counter puncher who is patient and waits for the right opportunity to strike. My main strength is definitely my legs; there is some of that butterfly in them. Second, is my mathematic approach to this sport; I study the game. Finally, my speed over these bigger, slower and more sluggish guys [will be key].
“It’s too early in my career, but I want to dream, that’s why I left school because I want to reach the top, maybe I’ll fail, but I will give it my all, apart from becoming world champion, my dream would be to hold a big boxing event in Africa to make my people proud. I have a strong affinity to Burkina Faso and it is important for us who live outside of Africa to go back and do what we can to help inspire the ones who are less fortunate.”
Photo: Michael Amoo-Bediako/Streetwise Management).
The West African nation hasn’t produced many professional prospects, with Brooklyn-based Issouf Kinda flying the flag for the Burkinabe population. He fought the now-unified 140lbs champion Jose Ramirez in 2016 and was also beaten by Ismael Barroso.
Pirotton-Bamogo wasn’t born in Burkina Faso, but his affiliation with the landlocked country dates back generations. “My link with my country is my family. My grandmother, great uncles, aunties and cousins, nieces and nephews plus the indirect links that are still important in Africa,” he said. “So, it keeps me close to my roots and I’ve been there a few times also. Secondly, it’s my identity card. I mean, I grew up in an atmosphere where my parents were trying to go back; they married there and raised my sisters there.
“Finally, the racism I faced [in Belgium] made me build myself as black man at first, as I grew up in countryside – I had to kick a few asses. The path to finding myself as a mixed-race man fed my passion for history and sociology. I realised that along the way, that Africanity was still a thing for me to build on. I am proud of being from Liège, but that seems hard to understand for those racist minds.”
Clear of any impending negativity for now, it was his career as a fledgling professional that Michael was focused on – spurred on by his namesake and new manager. London-based Amoo-Bediako has worked wonders with African fighters like former IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey, taking him from the streets of Accra, Ghana, to the biggest of American venues.
It was that successful work with Commey and Amoo-Bediako’s passion for unearthing hidden gems that attracted Pirotton-Bamogo. The pair were now looking for an opportunity; they want to crash the party at heavyweight and they believe the fighter’s fitness, intelligence and agility could be their golden ticket. But there’s a long, long way to go.
“I was looking at African champions and, in particular, Richard Commey,” Pirotton-Bamogo explained. “I looked at what his management had done for him from the very beginning of his career to date and I was very impressed – I know how hard it is for African fighters. I’m extremely happy, especially as Michael’s heritage is Ghanaian; he knows what it takes to make an African world champion. Once I signed, Richard Commey texted me and welcomed me to the Streetwise family, which was nice.
“Except [for] a few top guys – [Oleksandr] Usyk, [Tyson] Fury, [Michael] Hunter, [Tony] Yoka – and maybe a few that will come out of the next Olympics, I see a lot of big guys, powerful guys, but with [a] limited amount of boxing skills. Oleksander Usyk is my biggest inspiration in boxing right now. I’m impressed with his footwork, his speed and how elusive he is. That’s what I’m betting on, my skills in a few years. They will not be able to catch me.”
Main image: Michael Amoo-Bediako/Streetwise Management.