Nigerian-born British former heavyweight boxer, Funso Banjo’s son, Jordan, will this Saturday step out for his second professional fight, and another chance to convince his dad that he has what it takes to become a champ.
Sports247 gathered that Jordan Banjo never got the nod from his dad to embark on a professional boxing career, until the lad went all the way on his own and won his first fight.
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Jordan, a popular dancer, who used to perform in front of huge crowds, will this Saturday face another stiff test, as he steps out in Derby against an ex-champion of the Misfits circuit, Frankie Freelove (aka TikToker Tempo Arts).
It will be a follow-up to Jordan’s debut bout in the roped square, which came after he was approached to fight Love Island star, Wil Anderson, last year May – and he won the fight with a fourth-round knock-out.
That achievement excited his dad and the former heavyweight, who had a record of 15 wins with three losses and even challenged for the British title in 1985, eventually decided to support his son, though reluctantly.
Before then, the younger Banjo, who won Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 alongside his brother, Ashley, in a dance band that was tagged ‘Diversity,’ grew up not knowing his dad was a top ranked fighter.
So, instead of taking up the pugilists’ trade, Jordan formed dance troupe Diversity in 2007 and just two years later they won the third series of BGT, following which he also found success on radio and TV.
However, after the launch of Misfits Boxing, home to celebrity-style crossover bouts, Jordan began training to fight at the age of 30, after the Covid-19 lockdown – still without support from his dad.
Jordan, who admitted that boxing is a tough sport, retorted, “When I went out there, I was like, I can dance or perform or present TV shows or do whatever. I could do it in the front of a crowd of millions.
“No one’s trying to punch you in the face whilst you’re doing that. So, it’s very, very different and that’s what shocked me in the first fight, I think. I really underestimated the occasion.
“Throughout my first fight, I think my dad was really worried about being overbearing. So, he’d ring me every day and he’d come down to a few sessions, but he kind of was a bit hands off for that first camp.
“He’s been at every session, which has been really good for me as well, having his insight and his experience. It’s been really good for me (but) my daughter and my wife absolutely hate it. So, it’s a tricky one.”
