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BAGWASI STEALS THE SHOW AT FOX SPORTS AFRICA BOXING TOURNEY

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EZULWINI – While Namibia’s Anthony Jarmann and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Patrick Mukala may have lit up the Royal Swazi Spa Convention Centre with sizzling displays in their WBA Pan African title fights, it was Botswana’s Steven Bagwasi who stole the show, with a scintillating performance on the Fox Sports Africa Boxing tournament on Friday night.

Jarmann regained his WBA Pan African super-welterweight crown with a slick unanimous points win over Tanzania’s Salahe Mkalekwa over 12 rounds. Mukala, on the other hand, defended his WBA super-middleweight crown with a stunning fourth round knockout win over Ibrahim Tamba of Tanzania. And Bagwasi, who was making his fourth professional appearance, devastated South Africa’s Xolani Mgidi with a series of body blows before the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round of the scheduled six rounds lightweight contest. The Botswana boxer was in superb condition – fit and quick on his feet and with swift hand-speed – and attacked from the moment the first bell was sounded.
Afterwards he said: “I’ve been working hard as I knew this was an important fight for me. I’ve been working closely with the promoters, who have promised me more fights over the next few months. It was important for me to win so that my ambitions remain intact.

“I’ve been able to keep an unbeaten record and I know winning is the only way I could get a shot at a WBA Pan African lightweight title fight.” Jarmann returns to Windhoek today with his WBA Pan African super-welterweight belt knowing that he will be defending the crown on his home soil on August 3 – the date for the first-ever Fox Sports Africa Boxing tournament in Namibia. “I’m so chuffed to have won back my title,” Jarmann said. “I lost it in Gaborone last year under trying conditions – I was emotionally unfit for that fight as had lost my brother. But when I signed for this weekend’s fight, I went back to the basics in an effort to win the belt back. I’m glad that I did as I will now be able to defend my title in front of my home crowd.”

Jarmann admitted that he battled hard against Mkalekwa, a southpaw who is a cagey fight and who is difficult to hit. Mukala was just sensational. He targeted Tamba with some stinging body punches before a flurry of combinations the Tanzanian hit the canvas to be counted out. “I had to bide my time. I did not want to go straight on the attack as I knew little of him. We saw some of his videos but it did not show too much. I just wore him down and when I got through his defence and hit him with some powerful punches, I opened him up,” Mukala said. Soon after the fight Ashley Fourie, Mukala’s trainer, approached the promoter, Barry Lambert, to get him a stiffer opponent for his next fight.
Lambert has agreed to take him up the ladder step by step over the next few months.

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