Mwadziwana puts title on line against Maphosa

Boxing Promotions tournament at the City Sports Centre.
Abel Josamu, a matchmaker with Black Fist Boxing Promotions, said yesterday that the Mwadziwana-Maphosa fight has now replaced the Misheck Kondwani and Dumezeli Mtuleki’s lightweight contest as their main bout on Saturday’s bill.
Kondwani and Mtuleki were initially pencilled in to fight for the vacant national lightweight title during this Saturday’s tournament at the City Sports Centre.
But the fight was put off after Kondwani was last week “lured” by Zambian promoter Anthony Mwamba to take on Noel Banda of Zambia in an international non-title bout in Lusaka on February 17.
And after Kondwani decided to pull out of this Saturday’s Black Fist Boxing Promotions tournament at the City Sports Centre, Mwadziwana came to their rescue when he volunteered to defend his national bantamweight title against Maphosa.
Mwadziwana and Maphosa were initially going to fight in a six-round non-title fight on the same Black Fist Boxing Promotions bill on Saturday.
But the contest has now been elevated to a title fight and will now be the main bout of the day over a 12-round distance.
Josamu said the Zimbabwe Boxing Board of Control, through their secretary-general Patrick Mukondiwa, have already given this title fight their blessings.
“In fact, when Misheck Kondwani pulled out of his fight against Mtuleki, the board secretary Mukondiwa suggested that we should pit Mwadziwana and Maphosa for the national bantamweight title fight and we agreed.
“Mwadziwana also indicated that he was ready to defend his title against the Bulawayo boxer and we are glad to announce that this contest is now going to be our main bout on Saturday,” Josamu said.
The Mbare-based matchmaker also announced that Mtuleki was now going to fight Lynos Murabwa in a non-title featherweight contest over six rounds on Saturday.
“These are the only two major adjustments which we’ve made to our bill otherwise the rest of the other fights remain the same as initially proposed.
“We have made all the hotel bookings for the boxers from Bulawayo and their trainer who will be coming up here for the tournament.
“All is now set for the staging of the first professional boxing event of the year on Saturday and we are determined to make it a huge success,” Josamu said.
When contacted yesterday, Kondwani, who trains with Mwadziwana at Raylton Sports Club in Harare, confirmed that the latter has agreed to defend his bantamweight title against Maphosa on Saturday at the City Sports Centre.
“Yes, it’s true. Tinashe has agreed to put his national title on the line and will now take on Lovewell Maphosa in the main bout on Saturday.
“He’s already been preparing for this fight and is in tip-top condition as I speak now. What we are now waiting for is for the promoters to deposit the boxers fees or purse money with the boxing board before Saturday’s fight,” said Kondwani.
Mwadziwana has been the national bantamweight title-holder for the past two years after defeating Pardon Katerere for the vacant crown.
He successfully defended his belt in April last year when he beat challenger Anywhere Katunga in the main bout of the Mosquito bill at Arcadia Sports Club in Harare.
The talented young fighter trains at Raylton Sports Club with some of the country’s top boxers such as former World Boxing Organisation super-middleweight champion Tineyi Mharidzo, national super-featherweight title holder Tawanda Kachigwada and Kondwani.