Bagwasi primed for WBF title
University of Botswana Indoor Sports Complex will host the much-anticipated World Boxing Federation (WBF) Super Featherweight title bout between local boxer, Steven Bagwasi and Tanzania’s Said Chino on August 26.
Bagwasi said preparations for the title fight are going well. He comes into this fight after a win against Koos Sibiya of South Africa in January. “Sibiya is a much experienced boxer and beating him gave me a motivation and I know I can beat anyone who stands in front of me. But it is not going to be easy since Sibiya and Chino are two different boxers with different styles so I have been working on my fight plan since my preparation in May,” Bagwasi said.
The WBF Super Featherweight title fight is promoted by Scud Missile Promotions and will feature several supporting bouts on the day. WBF International Super Bantamweight reigning champion, Moabi Ngaka will be in the ring for the first time since he won the title in October 2021.
Ngaka defeated his local rival Onkarabile Mothibedi to land his first world title. This time around he will be fighting in an eight rounds battle against Selena Maduna from South Africa. Ngaka told Mmegi Sport that preparations are going according to plan.
“I am currently struggling with my weight because of spending the whole year without competition. I have gained more body muscle. I am working hard to shed some extra kilos,” he said.
Another exciting boxer who will be in the ring on the day is Mmusi Tswiigi of Prisons Boxing Club. Tswiigi, an amateur boxer, will make his debut in professional boxing. He will face off against Simon Dladla from South Africa. The two boxers clash in a six-round bout under the super welterweight (71kg). Tswiigi is a former Zone IV champion in the welterweight (69kg) and competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where he lost during the quarterfinals.
He also failed to proceed past the quarterfinal during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Africa qualifiers in Senegal. Tswiigi said he decided to take the next step as amateur boxers are now allowed to fight in professional bouts. “It has always been my wish to fight in professional boxing but I was torn in between because I still wanted to fight in amateur boxing.
So when Botswana Boxing Association granted us an opportunity I grabbed it with both hands. I have unfinished business in amateur boxing,” he said. Tswiigi said local professional boxing has reached a higher level unlike before.
He said he intends to prove that he is one of the best boxers in Botswana and eventually challenge for a title. “This is my debut bout and I am starting with six rounds and I want to have two more six-round bouts. From there, I will need two eight-round bouts. Then I will be ready for 12 rounds and challenge for a title fight. I know I can do this,” he said.
Tswiigi, who is under Scud Missile management, said he has nothing to fear in his newly chosen path. Prisons Boxing Club coach, Gibson Rauwe said he was not surprised when Tswiigi decided to challenge for a professional bout.
“He is one of the toughest boxers that I have in the club. A hard worker. Unfortunately, most of the time he is struggling to find an opponent during our amateur BoBA inter-club competitions. So this is the right time for him. Now that boxing is open, I expect him to excel,” he said. Rauwe has experience in coaching professional boxing. In the last edition of the Scud Fight Night, he coached Kenneth Otsweleng during his heavyweight battle against Zibani Chikanda.
Rauwe said Tswiigi is facing an opponent with a higher profile as Dladla has five wins and two losses. But the coach said he expects a lot from his boxer. Rauwe said they have waited for a long time for boxers to start earning money from professional boxing. There are other bouts involving local boxers involve Choga Ntoti, Tshepang ‘Gearbox’ Babui, Boifang Kenaope, Tebogo Rennei, Tefo Letshikgwane, and Romeo Nkisa.