Monica Mkandla wins again

AFTER a blistering start to her career, Gwanda born female boxer Monica Mkandla has continued her brilliance in the ring in South Africa after registering her fifth career win to maintain a clean record.

Mkandla proved too strong for fellow Zimbabwean, Pamela Mutanga in a non-title junior featherweight bout. She won the six-round contest by a unanimous points decision after all the three judges gave her their nod.

The three judges’ scores were 60-54, 58-56 and 59-55 as the rising Mkandla produced yet another masterclass performance which saw her land more punches with weight than her opponent on the night.

Her fight against Mutanga was one of the bouts on the undercard of the African Boxing Union (ABU) Sadc Lightweight title match between Lancelot Moyo of Zimbabwe and Kaine Fourie of South Africa.

The South African won the title after outclassing Moyo. The event was organised by Unleashed Combat Sport Events.
Mkandla, who turned professional last year and has been going strong ever since, said it’s an amazing experience to make it five out of five.

Mkandla, who goes by the moniker “Savage”, said she was confident ahead of the fight that she would win.

“First of all it feels good to win my fight and make it five in all, it’s a blessing to me because I put a lot of hard work at the gym and we have been training so hard with my team. I have been working hard since February and on this fight, I had no doubt, I knew that I was going to win this fight.

When I am training I just put all my effort on the gym and I just go hard,” she said.
Mkandla’s will soon start preparations for her next match which is scheduled for 12 August. She will be in a title-challenge match against Melissa Miller of South Africa.

“I am going back to the gym on Thursday, right now I am resting and trying to heal because I have flu.

I have to work hard because Miller is a tough opponent so I need to give her a good fight,” she said.

Her fight against Miller is an ABU Sadc contest. After making Mutanga her fifth victim, the other four who have fallen at the hands of Mkandla are Nomusa Ngema, Mitchell Mubaya, Sazisiwe Simon and Mambo.

Since turning professional in August last year, she is one of the female boxers putting Zimbabwe on the international boxing map. Former World Boxing Council (WBC) Interim super bantamweight champion Kudakwashe Chiwandire, veteran Monalisa Sibanda and Revai Madondo are some of the few active female pugilists in the country.

Madondo, who hails from Highfield in Harare is set to contest for a WBC belt next month. – @brandon_malvin