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BOXERS PROMISE FIREWORKS TONIGHT

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(Guest writer)

THE contenders for tonight’s vacant WBA super-welterweight title fight on the Fox Sports Africa Boxing tournament at the Royal Swazi Spa have promised a display to remember after they weighed-in within the limit late yesterday. Anthony Jarmann of Namibia, who once held the crown but lost it to Botswana’s Hassan Mwakinyo on a technical knockout in August last year, said he was confident of winning the crown back.


“I must admit I was not in the right frame of mind in that title defence – I had just lost my brother a few weeks before that fight. My emotional state of mind was not good and came off second best,” he said.
“I was encouraged to go through the title defence by my very supportive mother as I had signed contracts and had to honour them.


“All that’s behind me now but I’m ready to fight and win the title once again. I want to return to Windhoek with the WBA belt. I want to fight as the champion when the Fox Sports Africa Boxing tournament comes to my town.”
Jarmann has settled down after the mid-week altercation with Salehe Mkalekwa in the lobby of the Lugogo Sun Hotel on his arrival from Namibia and is in fine fettle.


So is Mkalekwa, who hails from Tanzania and who was a last minute replacement for Gutram Ngoya, who ditched the promoters and headed for another fight in Australia.
Mkalekwa is a well-built and experienced fighter and comes with a track record of 13 wins and four losses.


“I believe I have the experience to deny Jarmann of regaining the record. I’ve watched a few of his videos and have found a few weaknesses in his make-up. I’ll try to exploit during the 12-round encounter,” Mkalekwa, said after weigh-in at 66.65kgs for the fight. Incidentally Jarmann stepped on to the scales at 69.45kgs.


The second title fight on the six-fight international tournament is for the WBA super-middleweight crown, currently held by Democratic Republic of Congo’s Patrick Mukala (defending champion) and who is now based in Johannesburg and is managed by Ashley Fourie, against Ibrahim Tamba of Tanzania.


“It will be a knockout,” Mukala said confidently after stepping off the scales in the setting sun at the Royal Swazi Spa. He weighed-in at 76.10kgs – well within the limit.


“I’ve looked after myself ahead of this fight. I’ve trained hard and was pushed to the limit by Ashley (Fourie) because together we have a goal – we want to fight for a bigger title within the next six to eight months
“Ashley has used new methods during my training sessions and has added endurance running in the schedule. I feel really good ahead of the fight and ready for12 rounds if it has to go that far.”


Tamba, who weighs 74.50kgs for the fight, has been pretty quiet in the build-up to this title fight and said: “I’ll do the talking in the ring. I’ve come here to fight and there’s a title at stake. I’m concentrating on winning the WBA belt – that means a lot to me.”

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