Boxer Aliyah Phiri up with the best

Langton Nyakwenda

THE World Boxing Council (WBC) have rated Zimbabwean pugilist Aliyah Phiri as the best African male lightweight boxer in their latest rankings.

The 23-year-old Phiri, who is also the African Boxing Union (ABU) lightweight champion, is now ranked 36th on the WBC ratings released on January 13.

His stock rose sharply after he claimed the ABU belt following a clinical second-round TKO (technical knockout) victory over highly rated Israel “Money Machine” Kamwamba of Malawi in Harare on December 8.

Renowned boxing statisticians Boxrec also recently rated Phiri the overall joint third-best male lightweight boxer in Africa, behind Jeremiah Nakathila of Namibia and Tanzania’s Abeid Zugo, who both enjoy four-star status.

The South African duo of Kaine Fourie and Khaya Busakwe similarly have a three-star rating.

Phiri defends his ABU lightweight belt against Saidi Mkola of Tanzania in Harare on March 29.

“I am aiming high and I want to excel in everything I do,” Phiri told The Sunday Mail Sport.

His father Issa is a former pugilist, while his brother Ali is his current trainer.

“I want to achieve everything I can in boxing; as a result, I am going to keep working hard in the gym. I will sweat, bleed and cry in the gym,” he said.

“I have been dreaming of making Zimbabwe big in boxing. For me to be rated a three-star boxer and to be number 36 in the WBC ratings is a huge step.”

With a three-star rating, the boxer, who hails from the sprawling suburb of Hatcliffe, can now attract lucrative fights.

“For me, this is a dream come true.

“I have been dreaming about making myself proud; making my father and brother proud.”

Should he defend his ABU title against Mkola, he will then go for the WBC Africa title, which is now the route to the ultimate gold belt.

“For this coming fight in March, I don’t have much to say to my opponents, save to say that fans should write down the date and then come in numbers to witness a good fight.

“I want to lift Zimbabwe’s flag high.”

Local boxing promoter and renowned match-maker Clyde Musonda spoke highly of Phiri’s fresh rating.

“What it means is that Phiri is now one of the most attractive boxers not only in Africa but in the world,” Musonda said.

“Charles Manyuchi reached four stars when he won the WBC Silver welterweight title back in 2016 and you saw how his stock rose.

“Kudakwashe Chiwandire is also up there. She now has three-and-half stars and is regarded as one of the toughest opponents in the female bantamweight division.”

A former WBC interim champion, Chiwandire, who fights under Musonda’s Deltaforce Boxing Academy, is ranked 14th.

She is the only African boxer inside the top 15 of the latest WBC’s female super-bantamweight rankings.

Chiwandire is set to fight for the WBC International title against holder Urvashi Singh of India in April at a venue to be advised.

The two were scheduled to fight on December 15 in Australia but the match was postponed after Chiwandire and his team failed to obtain visas.

“The girl (Chiwandire) is still relevant despite going for some time without a fight,” added Musonda.

Chiwandire made history by becoming the first Zimbabwean boxer to challenge for a WBC gold belt.

She, however, lost on points against world champion Yamileth Mercado of Mexico in March last year.

Before that fight, she had accounted for former champions Catherine Phiri of Zambia and Zulina Munoz of Mexico.

Those victories earned Chiwandire four-star status, but she dropped to three-and-a-half after the defeat to Mercado.

Chiwandire remains the best-rated female super-bantamweight boxer in Africa ahead of Ellen Simwaka (Malawi) and Nomusa Ngema of South Africa.

ABU female super-bantamweight champion Adijat Gbadamosi of Nigeria has one-and-a-half stars and is placed fifth in Africa.

She won the vacant ABU super-bantamweight title after a TKO win over Zimbabwe’s Patience Mastara in Accra on June 16 last year.

Mastara has a single star in the super-bantamweight, while 40-year-old Monalisa Sibanda has the same status in the welterweight division.