National super middleweight champion Daniel Wanyonyi has advised budding boxers to be brave and strong for success.

Speaking to People Sport on Sunday, July 27, 2025, Wanyonyi said Kenyan fighters should not fear punching above their weight, further insisting that for one to become a champion, he must beat the best in the ring.

Wanyonyi spoke a week after retaining his national title at the Roar in the Ring Season II Series at Nairobi’s Charter Hall, an event organized by Melk Boxing Promotions.

Preparing for his scheduled fights, Wanyonyi floored Daniel Owino within a timeframe of two minutes and 57 seconds in the second round of the Kenya Professional Boxing Commission (KPBC) super middleweight bout. He said his challenger could not match him because of the vigorous training he puts in while aiming to remain at the top of his game.

“I would like to urge the budding boxers to be brave and ready to fight the best if they aspire to make names for themselves. They cannot succeed if they shy away from facing champions in the game. It takes top-level discipline to reach where I am. I train daily to maintain my status. They should have a good program, spend most of their time honing their skills, and staying in the gym alone cannot help. I would also like to congratulate my opponent for being brave; very few Kenyan boxers dare to face me,” Wanyonyi said.

Experience

Unlike many local fighters, Wanyonyi boasts of fighting abroad against established boxers; he, however, said Kenya’s boxing is growing compared to years before.

“Boxing in the country is getting better. Today’s boxers are lucky enough because money is being pumped into boxing in a way. Today, you will hear of boxing competitions staged at the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC) and Charter Hall regularly. The sport is paying fairly well, unlike during our days when we were only given money for bus fare.”

Wanyonyi is scheduled to face a seasoned German boxer and defending champion, Alexander Rigas, in a 12-round bout for the World Boxing Federation (WBF) title in Frankfurt, Germany, in October. He will go into the books of history as the first Kenyan to challenge for the world title.