By James Bakama

JACKSON “Action” Asiku will be out to emulate four former Ugandan world champions when he makes his first IBO title defense tomorrow.

Asiku, who last November became the fifth Ugandan world boxing champion, takes on Mexican Jhonny Gonzalez at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Speaking from his base in Australia shortly before departing for the US, Asiku said he was set for the task. “I promise Uganda victory,” vowed a buoyant Asiku.

Former Ugandan champions Ayub Kalule, Boza Edwards, John “The Beast” Mugabi and Kassim “The Dream” Ouma all managed to successfully defend their titles.

Uganda’s most successful boxer Kalule managed to defend his WBA light middleweight title five times.

After defeating Japan’s Masashi Kudo in 1979 to become Uganda’s first world champion in the paid ranks, Kalule defended the title five times.

He lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1981 via a technical knock-out in the ninth of a scheduled 15 round contest.

Boza beat Rafael “Bazooka” Limon in 1981 to win the WBC super featherweight title. He successfully defended the crown once before losing to Rolando Navarrete the same year.

Mugabi knocked out Frenchman Rene Jacquot in 1989 to become the new WBC light middleweight champion.

He defended the title twice before losing it American Terry Norris. Mugabi was knocked out in the first round of one of boxing’s biggest shocks.

Ouma, who like Mugabi and Kalule was also a light middleweight, cruised to the IBF crown via a points decision against Verno Phillips in 2004.