It’s Sting v Sugar

Gilbert Munetsi Sports Correspondent
ZIMBABWE’S World Boxing Federation-Africa cruiserweight champion, Chamunorwa “Sting” Gonorenda yesterday had to endure a whole day at Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi, Kenya, while awaiting the connecting flight to Lagos where he is scheduled to defend his title against Tony “Sugar” Salam tonight.

Dubbed “Chaos in Lagos”, the event takes place at the Federal Palace in Victoria Island.
Team Gonorenda said from Nairobi early yesterday that they strongly feel the arrangement was intended to psychologically disadvantage them.

Going into the match with a record of 12 wins and the same number of losses, “Sting” has, however, won his last five bouts on the trot and faces the southpaw (Salam) whose record he contributed in denting for the second time.
Salam has won 10 matches and lost twice, one of the occasions to Gonorenda.

The split points verdict issued at the last encounter in August at the Harare International Conference Centre was deemed “controversial” by Salam’s camp who felt they had been robbed of an outright victory, compelling the promoters to label tonight’s bout a “revenge or repeat” encounter.

Before departure, Gonorenda said that he would fight Salam again “any time and at any place” and this time it will be in Salam’s backyard with neutral judges agreed by both camps.
A visibly emotional Salam said: “I clearly won that fight. Gonorenda knows it, the Zimbabwean crowd knows it, the millions who watched it across Africa know it.”