Kenya's fists of fury

Denzel Onyango of Kenya celebrates being crowned the new World Alliance Boxing Association light heavyweight champion after defeating Ignatius Njego of Uganda at Charter Hall, Nairobi, on September 23, 2023. [File, Standard] Kenyan professional boxers has little time to rest as they gear up to numerous fights this year. The fights range from regional to continental and global bouts as players seek to write their names in the roll of honour. World Boxing Foundation (WBF) super lightweight champion Sarah Achieng' has secured a date with World Boxing Association (WBA) interim super-lightweight title holder Samantha Worthington of the United States of America. The two boxers will battle for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBC) super-lightweight title in April in the US. The winner of that fight will have a mandatory face-off with the winner of the match between Sandy Ryan against Karla Zamora in the WBC super lightweight finals. "I'm copying Mark Taffet (Worthington's Manager) who contacted me on behalf of Worthington. Please get in touch with him too discuss details of a possible fight against Achieng'," read a letter addressed to Achieng's head coach Alfred 'Priest' Analo by WBC Women's Championship Chairman Malte Mueller-Michaelis. Analo said they are ready for the fight and that Achieng' was going through her paces daily in readiness for the fight. "My boxer is ready for the fight as we try to learn our opponent through videos of her previous fights so that we get to know her better," Analo told Standard Sports. Achieng' said she is ready for the big fight, which is set to shape her professional career. "This is a fight any professional boxer fighter cannot afford to miss and I'm ready for it," said the 39-year-old fighter who has so far fought 19 times, winning 17 bouts (with nine knockouts) and two loses. The 30-year old Worthington, who started her professional career in 2012, has had 20 fights, winning 12 (with six knockouts) and eight loses (all knockouts). Achieng's last fight was when she successfully defended the WBF super lightweight title against Feriza Mashauri of Tanzania in Nairobi in September last year after winning it against Edith Soledad of Argentina in Nairobi in 2023. Former WBC super bantamweight champion Fatuma Zarika is another boxer ready to make a comeback in the ring. Zarika, who lost her global title to Mexican Yamileth Mercado in Chihuahua, Mexico City in November 2019, said she's ready for another journey to stardom. She begins that journey with a non-title fight on February 27 in Dar es Salaam. "I have been training throughout the festive season as I aim to make a serious comeback to the global stage," Zarika said. The boxer, who has moved up the ranks to the super-featherweight (57kg), said her desire was boosted by the non-title win against Halima Buyambi of Tanzania on November 21 in Nairobi. Zarika, whose current coach is Mavin Obuya, had her last title fight on May 11, 2024 against Briton Kirsty Hill for the Commonwealth super featherweight title in Blackpool, England, which she lost on a split-points' decision. World Boxing Association (WBA) seventh ranked super lightweight John Juma will take the ring in March. He's yet to know his opponent in the WBA Africa Gold Championships bout. There will also be some national title fights, which have attracted light welterweight Richard Ogolla, welterweight Mike Ogolla and lightweight Joram Roy in the Pugilistic Syndicate of Tanzania (PST) fights. Light heavyweight Denzel Onyango also faces a Tanzanian opponent next month in a non-title-fight at home. National super middleweight champion Daniel Wanyonyi is also scheduled to battle a Ugandan opponents in a six-round fight in April. Wanyonyi's last fight was a non-title-contest in Germany late last year, which he lost. "As a professional boxer, we are always ready for any match, any time. That's why we are always fit. We only improve on fitness when the call comes," he said. More unscheduled fights are also lined up, according to KPBC Assistant Secretary General Julius Odhiambo. "More fights will follow as we get sponsors," he said.

Kenya's fists of fury

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