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Tadious Manyepo–Sports Reporter
VETERAN South African boxing referee Thabo Spampool will officiate the eagerly-awaited WBC super-bantamweight interim championship fight between Zimbabwe’s Kuda ”Take Money” Chiwandire and Mexican Zulina Munoz.
The showdown is scheduled for the Harare International Conference Centre on October 1.
Chiwandire is the holder of the title which she wrestled from Zambian Catherine Phiri on February 26.
The fight was initially billed to be held on August 27 before the organisers were forced to postpone it owing to logistical issues.
But there is no going back this time around with the WBC confirming Spampool will referee the historic encounter in which Zimbabwe will be hosting a fight of that magnitude for the first time ever.
The WBC have since told fight promoters, Deltaforce, that the fight will have to take place on October 1 without fail while confirming Spampool will officiate the bout.
“We hereby approve the new date under the condition that there are no further delays or postponements.
“This is an updated version of the sanctioning letter and we thank you for promoting this important championship bout and wish you the best of luck for a successful event.
“Thabo Spampool will officiate the bout,” read part of the letter from the WBC.
The veteran South African has officiated 172 bouts and he is widely regarded as the ideal man for the job on October 1.
The high-profile duel, which has nine other bouts on the undercard, will be supervised by the WBC vice-president who is also ABU boss, Houcine Houichi.
Houichi was in Zimbabwe at the end of July where he presided over the WBC training seminar and ABU conventions held at the Kingdom Hotel in Victoria Falls.
While officiating at the two events, which Chiwandire and her manager/coach Clyde Musonda attended, Houichi said Zimbabwe stood to benefit more by staging the WBC interim championship.
“We wish to see Zimbabwe hosting a successful WBC interim championship and that will obviously go a long way in consolidating the country’s name on the (world’s) boxing map,” he said.
“I am happy we have successfully held our two events in Victoria Falls and we now look forward to watching a big fight involving Kuda Chiwandire and Zulina Munoz.”
Mexico’s Carlos Flores, Michael Newquay of Ghana and Kenyan Lynette Onam have been appointed as the three judges for the title fight.
Meanwhile, Chiwandire, who is yet to start official camp two weeks before the crunch fight, will on Saturday embark on a roadshow to spread awareness on the impending duel.
She will be supported by her principal sponsors, KGK Logistics, while there are also indications South African funeral services company, Zororo Phumulani, which is powered by Doves Zimbabwe, will also be part of the deal. “We will be moving around different parts of the capital this Saturday telling people about the fight.
“Kuda Chiwandire will also be there and people will get an opportunity to meet her,” said Musonda.
“Preparations for the road show are a gear up and we look forward to having a great one.”
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