Former world welterweight champion, Joshua "The Hitter" Clottey, has thrown his weight behind the newly formed Voice of Professional Boxers Association of Ghana (VPBAG), marking a significant endorsement of a movement aimed at uniting

Ghana’s professional fighters and championing their welfare.

In a symbolic gesture last Wednesday near the historic James Town Police Station in Accra, Clottey was officially inducted into the fraternity, becoming the first of Ghana’s world champions to sign up. 

The VPBAG, led by its President and former crowd favourite, Ayitey Powers, is seeking to rally the nation’s professional fighters—past and present—under one umbrella to advocate for their rights, improve livelihoods, and provide support, particularly for struggling or retired boxers.

Clad in a union-branded shirt emblazoned with his name, the former IBF champion pledged his full commitment to the cause.

“I’m a full member now, and I’m fully into this. Boxers need to unite for our good—this will help us,” Clottey said in a widely circulated video. “I’ll attend every meeting. Just call me—I’ll be there”.

Addressing a gathering of young, promising fighters, including WBO Africa titleholders Daniel Selassie Gorsh (bantamweight) and Faisal Abubakari (junior middleweight), Clottey urged them to prove themselves on the local circuit before venturing into the international arena. “You have to test yourselves against the best here in Ghana first. That’s how you truly prepare for the world.”

VPBAG President Ayitey Powers, a former boxer turned promoter, described the association as a long-overdue initiative to safeguard the welfare of the very athletes who are the heartbeat of the sport.

“Boxers are the pillars of everything in this game. Without the boxer, there’s no coach, no promoter, no manager, not even a Boxing Authority,” he declared in an interview with Graphic Sports.

He added that other stakeholders in the sport—coaches, promoters, and even supporters—already had their associations, and it was time boxers also had a unified voice.

“This isn’t the first time a boxing union has been attempted, but those efforts lacked structure and collapsed. When the current fighters approached me and asked me to lead, I knew we had to do it properly.”

Crucially, the VPBAG is not just a symbolic body. It is legally registered with the Registrar-General’s Department and recognised by the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA), giving it the institutional legitimacy that previous attempts lacked.

“This time, we have the papers. We are official, and we are here to stay,” Powers affirmed.

He expressed the hope that Clottey’s endorsement would encourage other Ghanaian boxing icons—including Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, and Joseph Agbeko—to come on board.

“We’re extending an open invitation to all our champions. We’re all boxers, and we must fight not just in the ring, but for the future of our sport.”