John Laryea is ready to record a statement win, says trainer

Featherweight John Laryea is set to arrive in Florida on Friday ahead of his U.S. debut against Alexander Mejia on November 1.

Ghana’s Laryea, 24, will face Mejia at Caribe Royale Orlando in Orlando, Florida, as he looks to announce himself to the American market.

Ahead of the bout, trainer Lawrence Carl Lokko believes Laryea, 13-0-1 (11 KOs), has what it takes to make a statement against Mejia, 19-9 (8 KOs), a 33-year-old from Nicaragua.

“This is a big stage for him to give a good account of himself in the U.S.,” Lokko told BoxingScene. “It means a lot to him and all of us and we can’t wait to showcase what we’ve got.”

Lokko, lead trainer of Bronx Boxing Club in Accra, is one of the most experienced trainers in Ghana having coached the likes of former lightweight titleholder Richard Commey. Lokko has been with Laryea since he turned pro six years ago.

Through his technical prowess, Laryea has gone 14 fights without a loss, winning a minor title in the process. Laryea will be fighting for the first time this year after a busy 2023, which saw him beat Solomon Martey, Gabriel Odoi Laryea and Isaac Dowuona.

According to Lokko, the long absence will not have any consequence on Laryea’s return to the ring.

“Training has been going well and he’s ready to take the opportunity that comes his way,” Lokko said. “Laryea is in good shape, and we’re on course to put finishing touches to our training in Orlando.”

On the other hand, Mejia is going into the fight on the back of five consecutive defeats. This year, he has suffered decision losses to Max Ornelas and Pedro Marquez Medina in April and June.

When asked how well Team Laryea knows Mejia, Lokko said: “We always make sure we’re prepared to face any opponent in the ring. Technically, we’ve monitored how he fights and we will be prepared for them.”

Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at [email protected].