Maridzo set for battle
MY FISTS WILL TALK’
TINEYI Maridzo is back in South Africa, but Mikey Schultz can relax because the Zimbabwean boxer is not here to fight him.
Maridzo made a name for himself in 2009 by knocking Schultz out clean in the first round of their WBO All Africa super middleweight clash at the Wembley Arena, south of Johannesburg.
But the fighter from Kambuzuma, Zimbabwe, later lost his belt in the boardroom due to lack of action. He has since relo- cated to South Africa, and enlisted Harold Volbrecht to train him.
Their first assignment together sees him take on Ryno “Man O” Liebenberg at Emperors Palace on July 9. Maridzo and Liebenberg came face to face at a press briefing on Thursday.
As always the Zimbabwean would not say much beyond promising to let his fists do the talking. Liebenberg made it clear that all he wants is an opportunity to box: “I am ready to fight anyone, anywhere and anytime.”
Liebenberg knocked out Caster Ndou in three rounds in one of the bouts that took place before Maridzo dropped Schultz in their fight.
Going into his eighth fight, Liebenberg remains unbeaten.
The bout is scheduled for eight rounds and will top the seven-bout card that will be jointly organised by Jeff Ellis and Rodney Berman.
Their upcoming tournament will be a box-and-dine development tournament dubbed Pride and Honour. It features four exciting young boxers, Warren “The Warrior” Joubert, Jason “Badman” Bedeman, Ashley “Stimela” Dlamini and Grant “Fireball” Fourie.
Joubert and Dlamini face each other in the lightweight bout over six rounds, while Bedeman will take on Takalane Dangala, also in the lightweight class but over eight rounds. Fourie, the nephew of Pierre Fourie, the former South African middleweight and light heavyweight champion, will actually be making a comeback.
Fourie returns from a two-year break. He will take on Gcobani Nkabi over six rounds in the lightweight division while Kevin Llerena and Clifford Smith will do battle over four rounds in the catchweight class. The action will begin at 7pm.