Namibia’s former world champions Paulus ‘The Hitman’ Moses and Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda yesterday showered praise on Jeremiah ‘Lowkey’ Nakathila for putting up an impeccable performance in his solid win over Mexico’s Miguel Berchelt late Saturday in Las Vegas, USA.
Speaking to New Era Sport yesterday, the two, who count among the country’s most decorated fighters, said Nakathila’s stirring confidence and overall application to the fight left them and many others in absolute awe.
The Namibian pugilist thrashed Berchelt with a TKO in the sixth round of their non-title bout.
The now-retired Moses, a former WBA lightweight world champion and WBO Africa middleweight champion, said he loved how Nakathila took his time to dismantle the Mexican, who clearly struggled to match the power and tenacity of the Namibian.
“It was a great fight, and he made the entire nation proud. I enjoyed how he handled his opponent from the onset. I believe his last fight in America against Shakur Stevenson, which he lost, motivated him to come back stronger and prove everyone wrong. You could see that he was taking his time to collect the win; he was not under pressure. He was determined to redeem himself and that’s what great fighters do. It’s all about how you come back,” said the 43-year-old Moses.
He added that the win should now serve as motivation for Nakathila to continue pursuing his dream of fighting for a world title in the near future, as his global ranking will improve in the coming months, and that will lead to bigger and better fights.
“He has set a mark for himself after that victory and from here, he stands a huge chance to fight for the world title.”
Also reacting to Nakathila’s win, Ambunda – a former WBO bantamweight world champion and multiple African bantamweight and super bantamweight champion – said the 32-year-old proved to the world that he deserves to be counted among the best.
The 41-year-old Ambunda noted that it was not easy for the Namibian, as he faced a bullish opponent and a raucous crowd that was fully behind Berchelt, but he still managed to come out tops.
“That was a world-class win; he handled it as a top-class boxer that he is. It was a great fight to watch, especially with the determination and strength that he displayed in the ring. If you want to be the best in the world, those are the kind of opponents you need to fight; they make you a better boxer. I believe he is moving closer to getting a shot at the world title. I’m proud and the whole nation is indeed proud,” he said.
– mkambukwe@nepc.com.na