Lack of opponent leaves Maemu in the lurch
SOUTH Africa’s Rofhiwa Maemu was a disappointed man late yesterday when he was informed that his WBA Pan African featherweight title fight against Nasibu Ramadhan of Tanzania was off.
The 12-round fight was one of three WBA Pan African title bouts on the Fox Sports Africa Boxing tournament to be staged at Carnival City this Friday evening.
The other two WBA Pan African title fights which sees South Africa’s Rofhiwa Nemushungwa will battle it out with Fadhili Majiha of Tanzania for the vacant WBA Pan African Bantamweight crown over 12 rounds and the super-middleweight title fight between Patrick Mukala of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who is now based in Gauteng,
THE BILL
and Tanzania’s Ibrahim Maokola will go on as scheduled.
Maemu, known as “The War Child” is the WBA Pan African featherweight champion and was to have defended his crown for the third time since winning it against Namibia’s Immanuel Andeleki on a unanimous points decision in October last year.
He then defended his crown against Fadhili Majiha of Tanzania in December in Gaborone, winning on points once again, and came out victorious with a technical knockout win over another Tanzanian, Haidari Mchanjo, who suffered stomach cramps during the fight at Royal Swazi Spa in February this year.
“I’m really disappointed,” he said from Johannesburg. “I trained so hard and with dedication for this fight, knowing that I would be put to a real test.
“That’s what we as boxers look forward to, hence my disappointment. However, I will sit on the side-lines until the next Fox Sports tournament later in the year.”
Manager-trainer Allan Toweel also expressed his disappointment but said that was little his camp could do.
“There was no chance of getting opponents in such a short space of time. We were told late yesterday – it left us just a few days to get a new opponent.
But it would have been unfair for anyone to take on “The War Child” at such short notice,” he said.
While Toweel may be disappointed that his key man is without a fight this Friday, he does have another who fights for the vacant WBA Pan African bantamweight crown.
Rofhiwa Nemushungwa, who has been with Toweel for over a year, will meet Fadhili Majiha for the title.
The Tanzanian is an experienced fighter with 22 fights – 10 losses and four draws – while Nemushungwa has fought 17 times as a professional with 11 wins, four losses and two draws.
“I know it’s going to be a tough one for Rofhiwa as I’ve seen Majiha in action a few times now on the Fox Sports African Boxing tournaments. He is a strong and experienced boxer.
“But if I did not think my fighter had the ability to compete against him I would not have taken on the fight,” Toweel said.
“Rofhiwa is dedicated boxer, he trains hard and has the stamina to go all 12 rounds.
“His work ethic is unbelievable and I think we are in to see a good bout between these two bantamweights.”