David 'Poison' Kotey

Very difficult to get any 'footage' and even 'photo's of David 'Poison' Kotey.

I do have a list of some of David Kotey's fight purses.

 

David Kotey turned professional on February 15, 1966, at age '15'.

He was managed by his older brother Daniel, who worked as an
'Official in the Ghanan Government'.

In his first professional bout, he was paid $15 (U.S. Dollars)

* 1-0-0.....($45) - February 15, 1966 -- (W Dec 6) over - Famous Lartey
* 3-0-0.....($150) - June 5, 1967 ------- (W Dec 10) over - Peter Aywith
* 12-0-0...($185) - August 30, 1969 --- (KO 10) over - Asebi Bookye
* 18-0-0...($265) - November 28, 1970 - (KO 3) over - Bob Seifu

Thru December 1970 - the 20 year-old - David ran his record to 18-0-0 (10 KO's)
and was campaigning primarily at 130 lbs.

Almost all of his bouts were in Accra, Ghana, except for '2' in Togo.

He was 'considered' a good prospect, but not 'world class' as of yet,
as the competition was 'below' par.

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After a 6-month lay-off -

In Kotey's first 'real test' on June 5, 1971 - he was held to a 10-Round
Draw by 'Hurricane' Freddie Mensah 14-0-0 (6 KO's).

* 18-0-1...($550) - June 5, 1971 - (Draw 10) - 'Hurricane' Freddie Mensah

 

On December 3, 1971 - David Kotey had his last bout in Ghana

* 19-0-1...($400) - December 3, 1971 --- (KO 3) over - Cassimo Alhassan

Unable to get quality bouts in Ghana,,,,,,as he 'only' had '2-bouts' in 1971.

David 'Poison' Kotey was sent to Australia in May 1972 -

The 21 year-old brought along a record of 19-0-1 (11 KO's).
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In David Kotey's first bout in Australia at Festival Hall, he was rudely
welcomed and defeated by 'southpaw' Lightweight - Andy Broome 8-0-2 (1 KO's).

* 19-1-1...($700) - May 29, 1972 - (L Dec 10) -- Andy Broome
* 20-1-1...($700) - June 22, 1972 - (W Dec 10) - Alan Pressnell
* 21-1-1...($700) - June 29, 1972 - (KO 10) ----- Ted Bonner
* 21-2-1...($700) - July 13, 1972 - (L Dec 10) --- Rex Downard
* 22-2-1...($700) - July 27, 1972 - (W Dec 10) -- Tony Cunningham
* 23-2-1...($700) - August 23, 1972 - (KO 3) ----- Tony Rose
* 24-2-1...($700) - October 18, 1972 - (W Dec 10) - Sakae Nakamura

David 'Poison' Kotey 6-months stay in Australia resulted in a 5-2-0 (2 KO's)
record, and with 'not' an overly impressive performance. He returned back
to Ghana with a record of 24-2-1 (13 KO's), but did not return to the ring
until 1-year later, in October 1973.

 

Ledge-Head,

David Kotey was managed by his brother Daniel Kotei, who became
an official with Ghanan Government in the United Nations.

He was trained by Francis Clottley.

When he fought in the United States, Chickie Ferrera was brought in
as a 'chief second'.

David Kotey, a.k.a. 'DK Poison' was the first professional boxer from Ghana
to win a Wolrd Championship.

David Kotey (2011)

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David 'Poison' Kotey,

After a 1-year lay-off, and returning from from his '7-bout' tour of Australia.

Returns to Ghana in 1973

October 6, 1973.........KO 6 over - Bingo Crooks (11-6-2)
December 14, 1973.....KO 2 over - Peter Koloko (9-3-4)

Febrauary 2, 1974.......KO 1 over - Tar Ben Hassen (26-7-3)

David Kotey wins the African Boxing Union Featherweight Champion by
scoring a KO 1 over Tunisian - Tar Ben Hassen in Tunisia.

David Kotey received his largest fight purse of $5000 for this bout, while
improving his mark to 27-2-1 (16 KO's), and is ranked as the #5 WBC Featherweight.

 

November 1974

The 25 year-old Ghanan - David Kotey, the African Boxing Union Featherweight Champion
would like to fight for the the WBC Featherweight Championship.

Daniel Kotey, the fighter's manager, has offered the Champion - Bobby Chacon $75,000 to
come to Accra, Ghana to fight his brother, the #2 WBC Featherweight.

In the meantime, David defended his ABU Featherweight Championship by taking on Osmann Toure
in Accra, Ghana.

* November 9, 1974.....TKO 5 over - Osmann Toure (14-1-2)

David Kotey improves to 28-2-1 (17 KO's), and took this bout as a 'tune-up' before his challenge for
the WBC Featherweight Championship versus Bobby Chacon in December.

Unfortunately, the bout with Bobby Chacon was pushed off for 1975.

Novermber 1974

WBC Ratings
*** Bobby Chacon
#1 - Alexis Arguello
#2 - David Kotey
#3 - Ruben Olivares
#4 - Alfredo Marcano
#5 - Vicente Blanco
#6 - Art Hafey
#7 - Juan Antonio Jiminez
#8 - Shig Fukuyama
#9 - Danny Lopez
#10-Jesus Estrada

 

December 14, 1974

El-Wak Stadium - Accra, Ghana

Attendance; 25,000

David Kotey, the #1 WBC Featherweight added the British-Commonwealth Featherweight
Championship to his 'record list' by stopping Champion - David Evan Armstrong of Scotland by a TKO 10.

The new Champion, scored with an assortment of powerful punches in Rounds 6 and 7, hurting the
31 year-old Armstrong. Kotey (DK Poison) had the hard-hitting Champion in all sorts of trouble, as
the veteran was punished in Round 8, and forced into taking a knee.

The 25 year-old Kotey used his powerful right hands to batter Armstrong in Round 10, forcing
the Referee to stop the the bout with Champion is a defenseless position.

David Kotey, improves to 29-2-1 (18 KO's), and also wins the British-Commonwealth Featherweight
Championship.

Through a spokesman, Kotey will accept a contract to fight WBC Featherweight Champion - Bobby Chacon
in March 1975. The promoter in Los Angeles said that Kotey will require 2 or 3 months to prepare for
the Championship bout, to be held at The Olympic Auditorium

Evan Armstrong falls to 39-14-1 (30 KO's). The hard-hitting Scot was attempting to defend his Championship
for the '3rd' time. Evan had won '6-straight' bouts, before losing to David 'Poison' Kotey.

Fight Purses; (David Kotey - $10,000 in U.S. Dollars) (David Evan Armstrong - $12,000 in U.S. Dollars)

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Boxbible,,,,,,,,

Fantastic................. David 'Poison' Kotey vs. Danny 'Litte Red' Lopez I

Saturday - November 6, 1976 - Accra Sports Stadium - Accra, Ghana

The bout started at 'Midnight', in front of 122,000 Ghanan boxing fans.

A 'grueling' 15-Round war in Accra.

Referee- British Harry Gibbs

 

The Featherweights

* September 9, 1974......(The Olympic Auditorium)
Bobby Chacon (KO 9) over WBC Champion - Alfredo Marcano
(Bobby Chacon wins the WBC Featherweight Championship)

* September 19, 1974......(The Olympic Auditorium)
Shig Fukuyama {RTD 8} over Danny 'Little Red' Lopez

* November 27, 1974......(The Forum)
#1 WBA Alexis Arguello (KO 13) over WBA Champion - Ruben Olivares
(Alexis Arguello wins the WBA Featherweight Championship)
(Attendance; 14,313 - Live Gate; $186,000)

* December 7, 1974......{Accra, Ghana}
#1 David Kotey (KO 10) over Evan Armstrong
(David Kotey wins the British-Commonwealth Featherweight Championship)

* December 1974
WBC Champion - Bobby Chacon signs to fight #1 WBC - David Kotey

* January 1975
WBC Champion - Bobby Chacon re-signs, to fight #10 Jesus Estratda for February 7, 1975

* February 1975
WBC Champion - Bobby Chacon postpones his bout with Jesus Estrada for 3-weeks

* March 1, 1975......(The Olympic Auditorium)
WBC Champion - Bobby Chacon (KO 3) over #10 WBC Jesus Estrada
(Attendance; 7500 - Live Gate; $135,000)

* March 13, 1975
WBC Champion - Bobby Chacon will next defend is title on June 20, 1975 against either - David Kotey, Ruben Olivares or Vicente Blanco.

* March 28, 1975......(Ivory Coast)
#1 David Kotey (Draw 10) with Laurent Bazie
(David Kotey {29-2-2} travels to the Ivory Coast, and is held to a 10-Round Draw by Laurent Bazie {33-0-2}

* April 7, 1975......(Tijuana, Baja California)
#2 WBC Ruben Olivares (KO 7) over Benjamin Ortiz

* June 20, 1975.......(The Forum, Los Angeles)
#2 WBC Ruben Olivares (KO 2) over WBC Champion - Bobby Chacon
(Ruben Olivares a 2-1 Underdog, 'upsets' Bobby Chacon, to win the WBC Featherweight Championship)
(Attendance; 18,700 - Live Gate; $421,000)

* The winner of the June 20, 1975 WBC Championship has a signed contract to fight #1 WBC David Kotey within 90-Days

 

Saturday Night - September 20, 1975

The Forum - Los Angeles, California (Pomoter; Don Fraser)

WBC Featherweight Championship

Tale of the Tape

Ruben 'Mr. Knockout' Olivares (Mexico)
* WBC Featherwerweight Champion
Record.........80-5-1 (71 KO's)
Age.............28 years, 8 months
Height..........5' 5 1/2"
Reach..........67"

David 'Poison' Kotey (Ghana)
#1 WBC Featherweight and British-Commonwealth Featherweight Champion
Record.........29-2-2 (18 KO's)
Age.............24 years, 9 months
Height..........5' 7 1/2"
Reach..........68 1/2"

Betting Favorite - (Ruben Olivares) 10-8

Ruben Olivares will be making the '1st-Defense' of his WBC Championship.

Fight Purses, {Ruben Olivares $80,000} - {David Kotey $15,000 - plus an additional $5000 for British Broadcast fee's}

The Skinny

The 28 1/2 year-old Champion still has the 'punching power', but his speed has diminished
with age. Reports are flying through Los Angeles that Ruben has been partying more than
he has been training. Also, Ruben does not regard David Kotey as a difficult challenge, and
he belives he will have no problem with the little known #1 WBC Featherweight, and predicts
he will win easily.

The 24 1/2 year-old Ghanan has been training in Los Angeles for 3-weeks, and the muscular
Kotey looks very good in sparring sessions. 'DK Poison' is fast and has a very good left hook,
to go along with an explosive right-hand. Francis Clottley, Koteys trainer, has brought in
Chickie Ferrera to help in preparing Kotey for the Champion.

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The Fight

The 'fast-handed David Kotey opened up in Round 1 with a fast on-slaught, and stunned the
'slow-starting' Ruben Olivares with a right-hand, and then dropped the Champion with a left hook.

The young and powerful 24 1/2 year-old Ghanan, controlled the early rounds, with quick hard right
hands, and then backed away looking to counter with his hard left hook.

Despite being outsped, the 28 1/2 year-old Champion dug in, and started whacking away with his
left-right body punches in the middle rounds. The Champion was able to back Kotey up, and closed
the gap on the scorecards by Round 8.

In a back-and-forth fight in Rounds 9 and 10, Kotey was able to land fast one-two's, and back off
before being countered. While the Champion continued to throw hard left-rights to the body.

But by Round 11, Olivares looked to be 'out-of-steam', as Kotey scored with quick left-rights to the
head, and then used fresher legs to avoid any of the Champion's counter-punches.

In the 12th Round, both fighters clashed heads, and the Champion came away with a bad cut over the
left eye. The Challenger used that cut, to go aggressive, as he scored with several sharp punches on
the partially blinded Champion.

Entering Round 13, the Challenger was ahead on the scorecards and fought defensively, and smartly boxed
by jabbing and using his quick legs to stay away from a 'stalking' Olivares.

The Champion, realizing he needed to win the last '2' rounds big, put together a late rally in Rounds 14 and 15
by scoring with more punches, but they lacked any power to hurt the younger David Kotey.

 

September 20, 1975

Scorecards;
Referee, Rudy Jordan.........145-144 (Ruben Olivares)
Judge, Dick Young.............143-142 (David Kotey)
Judge, Chuck Hassett.........144-143 (David Kotey)

Most of the ringside press, had David Kotey winning by a 144-142 scorecard.

Associated Press..............142-141 (David Kotey)
Los Angeles Times.............144-141 (Ruben Olivares)

United Press, 'The Champion was sluggish, and showed little skills last night. The Challenger was the
better boxer, and was a clear winner'. UPI Scorecard 144-141 for David Kotey.

Bobby Chacon, 'Ruben came into the ring in poor physical condition, and he lost no matter what anybody says.'

David Kotey, 'I had a fight plan, and it worked. Ruben was excellent as a Bantamweight, but he's not as good
at Featherweight.'

Ruben Olivares. 'He was very fast early in the bout, but I took over and won '9' of the rounds. I was sure that
the last '2' rounds won it for me.'

Ex-Champion Ruben Olivares, floored in the 1st Round, and outsped for the majority of the fight by the Challenger,
also suffered a badly cut left eye in Round 12 (from a head-butt), and lost a 15-Round 'Split' Decision to the Ghanan
David 'Poison' Kotey.

The 7861 pro-Olivares fans at The Forum erupted in boo's after the decision was announced, and rioted. Several
hundred fans stormed the ring, and attacked David Kotey, his cornermen, and Ghanan contingent.

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Champion - Ruben Olivares is floored in the '1st-Round'.

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