Facts about ‘The Punching Preacher’ Delboy Osaze
Derrick Osaze set for summer showdown against Denzel Bentley
Ultimate Boxxer winner Derrick Osaze (13-1, 3KO) will face world title contender Denzel Bentley (19-3-1, 16KO) on August 17 at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London.
The summer sizzler between the British middleweights will double up as a battle of south London with Bentley born and bred in Battersea and Osaze originally hailing from Peckham.
Facts about Derrick Osaze
Now 30-years-old, Derrick Osaze was born in Peckham, London on October 11, 1993, the fifth born of six children.
Delboy first got into boxing aged 15 to keep out of trouble. He had been excluded from school no less than 13 times and close to being permanently expelled until a friend recommended boxing as a way to channel his aggression in 2009. In his own words, “I was quite quick tempered. I got into a lot of issues and fights. I think I got excluded every year from 1 to year 10, I literally lost count”.
He already played football and basketball but his disciplinary record was not great, often finding himself in altercations, but he believes boxing was a calling for him, “God led me to boxing, which ultimately saved my life, the sport has taught me so much, the biggest lesson being self-discipline, it’s positively shaped my character and kept me out of trouble.”
The troubled teen then became a model student, focusing on his GCSE’s and A-Levels before concentrating on his amateur career waiting until he was 19 to have his first competitive bout, which was in 2013 in Nottingham for Phoenix ABC.
The scholar even went on to attend Nottingham Trent University where he gained a BA Honours in Business Management and a Masters in Sport Psychology.
As an amateur, he won two national titles and a regional title all within just 19 bouts.
He narrowly missed out on a place on the England squad due to an injury at the time, and was also considered to represent Nigeria in the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Osaze turned pro in 2017 under the tutelage of trainers Barrington Brown, Mark Howell and manager Jimmy Gill.
In 2019, unbeaten Osaze triumphed over Tey Lynn Jones, tournament favourite Kieron Conway and Grant Dennis in the Ultimate Boxxer II middleweights tournament, defeating all three top prospects in one night who had a combined record of 33-2. He was presented with the winner’s ‘Golden Robe’ by former heavyweight world champion Shannon Briggs.
Shortly after winning the tournament, he was signed by promoter Ben Shalom’s BOXXER, becoming their first ever signing.
Boxing away from home in Sheffield in June 2021, after almost two years out due to the pandemic, the 10-0 prospect was defeated for the first and only time by the in-form Tyler Denny on points over 10 rounds. He has won three fights since, now boasting a record of 13-1, with 3 KOs.
He now trains at the Dreams Come True boxing academy.
He described his journey of boxing as going from a hobby to a passion to a lifestyle.
Osaze was ordained as a pastor in March 2018, hence the ‘Punching Preacher’ nickname. Now residing in Nottingham, he is a pastor of the GVM Youth Church.
His boxing idols include Roy Jones Jr. and Marvin Hagler. He also counts fellow faith followers George Foreman and Evander Holyfield as heroes of his.
He is close friends with fellow brainy boxer Joshua Buatsi.
His wife is also from London, but they met at uni in Nottingham and stayed thereafter, and have a four-year-old son together.
He runs his own business called AIM Youth (Aspire, Inspire, Motivate), an alternate education provider delivering mentoring sessions, assemblies and workshops to local schools.