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Ellina Mhlanga

Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN boxer Tinashe “Chairman” Mwadziwana is next month expected to challenge Namibia’s Nathaniel Kakololo for the African Boxing Union featherweight title.

The fight is scheduled for February 27 in Namibia.

His manager at Deltaforce Boxing Academy, Clyde Musonda, confirmed they have upcoming fights for Mwadziwana and Revai Madondo.

Madondo is set to trade leather with Stumai Muki in one of the supporting bouts for the WBF Intercontinental super-featherweight match between Ibrahim Class and Dennis Mwale on January 29 in Tanzania.

Mwadziwana’s last fight was in September 2019.

Musonda said they are looking at getting the boxer into camp next week since there is a lot that needs to be done coming from such a long break.

“For Tinashe we sealed the deal last Saturday with the promoter Salute Boxing Academy from Namibia.

“Next week Monday we should start to put him in camp at the sponsor’s farm because gyms are closed. We are going to take some gym equipment we have there for him to train.

“His last fight was in September, 2019. A lot has to be done, so I spoke with his sponsor Gypsite Electric Engineering who promised me that since the gym is closed they are going to camp him at the farm and invite more sparring partners since he last fought in September 2019.

“We’re going to do our level best to put a real challenge as we are taking this fight seriously,” said Musonda.

However, it is a different case for Madondo as they have been aware of the fight since last November and Musonda believes they just need to polish up as they have done most of the homework.

“For Revai, this fight we knew about it since last year November, that’s when we signed the contract.  So it’s a fight we have been aware of and have been preparing for. We are still preparing from home because of the lockdown restrictions.

“We are happy there are other guys who came in to support financially with her upkeep. So we are just polishing up but I think Revai is fine because we knew about the fight,” said Musonda.

The fights give local boxing fans something to look forward to since there haven’t been much activity on the local scene.

Mwadziwana said after more than a year of inactivity, there is more to work on ahead of the fight.

“It’s been long without being active because of Covid-19. But as a professional boxer you have to train even without the coach. So I have been training alone.

“I think I have to pull my socks up to get the belt. It’s only one month left, so I need to start training. There isn’t much time between now and the fight but I have somewhere to start from because it’s not like I was just sitting at home.

“I have been working out here and there, sparring whenever I got a sparring partner but it was affected because it was not the usual training. But with one month left we will be in camp with the coach,” Mwadziwana said. Although he has not had a chance to see his opponent in action, Mwadziwana acknowledges it’s going to be a tough fight.

“The fight is a tough one. I have not seen him but I have heard about him . . . He is one of the good boxers in this weight category.

“It’s not going to be an easy fight because he is a champion and to beat a champion you have to be aggressive.

“But I will do my best because I want the belt,” Mwadziwana said.