Ricky Zililo Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE heavyweight boxing champion Thamsanqa Dube and five other boxers will fight in supporting title bouts that would be screened live on pay-per-view television channel SuperSport in Lilongwe, Malawi, on October 31. Harare-based trainer-cum-promoter Clyde Musonda said Dube would be joined by Bulawayo-based Trevor Mpofu, Nicola Mutonora, Tinashe Madzivana, Diana Makumbe and Kudakwashe Chivandire for the Malawi trip.
Dube and Mpofu are set to fight in the heavyweight division while the other four will know their categories in due course.
Musonda said the bouts were organised by Craig Rousseau through his Malawi No Pain No-Gain Boxing stable and will see Malawian Wilson Masamba trading leather for the World Professional Boxing Federation Africa featherweight title against an unnamed Brazilian opponent.
Another Malawian Charles Misanju will fight for the super welterweight title.
The two Malawian pugilists are presently training at the Delta Force Boxing Academy run by Musonda in Harare.
“Three boxing stables from Zimbabwe (Delta Force), Tanzania’s Wall of Fame and the hosts’ No Pain-No Gain have collaborated to ensure these bouts are staged,” said Musonda.
“Rousseau is already in South Africa negotiating with SuperSport to cover the tournament that will be held at Bingu International Conference Centre in Lilongwe.
“Hopefully our Zimbabwean boxers will grab the opportunity and fight well there. It’s been a while since most of our pugilists set foot in the ring for a competitive boxing match,” he said.
The major fight that most Zimbabweans would be keen on is the Dube and Mpofu clash.
At the beginning of this year, Mpofu, 22, challenged Dube, 32, the former Pan-African World Boxing Association heavyweight champion, who happens to be the country’s most feared boxer.
Repeated efforts by Musonda to secure a sponsor to stage the fight in Zimbabwe proved futile, hence the decision to have their fight in Malawi.
“Obviously it would have been nice for Dube and Mpofu to fight here in Zimbabwe but due to resource issues, local fans have to watch it on TV. Hopefully, some day we will be able to get partners who will make it possible for us to stage tournaments locally,” Musonda said.
Dube last fought in 2011 when he was floored by Flo Simba in a non-title contest. He has been unable to get a challenger since then, with most pulling out at the last minute.
The “Baby Elephant” or “The Tanker”, as Dube is affectionately referred to, said he had shed off 15KG and now weighs 135KG.
“I’ve waited for a while to get back into the ring and I promise I’ll crush the boy (Mpofu), although I commend him for showing some guts,” said Dube.
Mpofu, who stands at 1.98M tall and weighs just above 90KG, is adamant that he will spring a shocker against Dube.
“Dube has passed his sell by date and this is my time to shine. I’m not afraid of him and I’m going to beat him. Right now I have intensified my preparations so that I’m in good shape for the fight,” Mpofu said.
He sees the fight against Dube as a springboard for his boxing career.
The confident, towering Mpofu believes that he will be the biblical David who used a sling to knock down Goliath when he faces Dube.