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Tadious Manyepo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
PROLIFIC female boxer Kudakwashe “Take Money” Chiwandire is a frustrated woman.
Her wait to return into the ring has been further prolonged after her proposed Tanzanian opponent failed to turn up in Lilongwe, Malawi last weekend.
Chiwandire had endured a road trip alongside her colleagues and Deltaforce Academy promoter Clyde Musonda to the “Warm heart of Africa” for her much-anticipated return to the squared cycle last Friday for the bout that was pencilled for Sunday.
But Flora Machela, who had undertaken to fight her, never showed up.
The organisers of the event sought to find her a new opponent and drafted rising Malawian fighter Loveness Khoka and for once the bout seemed to be on but the latter decided to chicken out as well.
That means the best ranked female pound for pound pugilist will have no preparatory bout before she faces Russian Tatiana Ezekiel in Russia on December 4.
That fight had initially been scheduled for November 12 but has been moved by a further three weeks.
Chiwandire was keen to gauge herself and shake off some rust which she has accumulated since her last fight in March last year.
The 28-year-old was last in the ring when losing her challenge for the WBC gold title against Mexican Yamileth Mercado in Chihuahua.
She has never set her foot in the fighting ring again with her proposed duels being cancelled again and again.
A scheduled WBF intercontinental showdown against Nomusa Ngema of South Africa last month fell through when she was already warming up to it.
And she was sure to assess herself versus Machela in Malawi as everything pointed north for that fight.
“I am really disappointed because I have never been in the ring since March last year,” said Chiwandire.
“I was looking forward to the fight against Machela but then she didn’t come to Malawi.
“We travelled there by road and I was eager to fight and resume my progress in the game.
“When she didn’t show up, a second option was secured in Loveness Khoka but then they withdrew on the day of the fight.
“It is so disheartening.
“I needed those fights to restart my journey but it’s part of the game. The setbacks will make me even stronger and I will retain my focus.”
Chiwandire will now have to start preparing for the match-up against Ezekiel coming in December.
That showdown will help her prepare for her upcoming WBC Africa contest against Malawi’s Ellen Simwaka in March next year.
She will have to win that duel to be able to challenge for a rematch against Mercado.
Besides Chiwandire’s disappointment for not being able to fight in Lilongwe, there was even more pain for Zimbabwe after rising prospect Farai Makombe, whose fight was the main bout on the bill lost by a TKO to Simeon Tcheta.
Until that defeat, Makombe was on a 4-0 record and his handlers had said they were eyeing for a 10-0 record to start challenging for titles.
His defeat was somewhat self-inflicted though as he had to put in extra work to shed off extra weight and he was weakened due to the effort.
Online Reporter