Otniel Hembapu
Windhoek-Despite the growing hype and overwhelming international publicity, Namibia’s triple world champion Julius ‘Blue Machine’ Indongo says his upcoming fight against Terence Crawford is no cause for sleepless nights as he believes he has the required armoury to handle the busty American boxing sensation.
The MTC Nestor Sunshine Boxing and Fitness Academy yesterday in the capital officially announced the full unification fight, with promoter Nestor Tobias saying the Indongo vs Crawford fight is a result of hard work and sheer determination from boxers and that as an academy they are proud to put Namibia on the map once again.
In his short speech, a highly confident Indongo yesterday warned that no boxer is untouchable and come August 19 he will prove Crawford is indeed beatable.
“I’m under no pressure at all. I’m going to Nebraska, USA to wrestle those titles away from Crawford and I feel no pressure in going there to fight Crawford in his own backyard. As a team, we have a strategy and perfect game plan for Crawford, so I’m really not concerned with what my opponent has in store for me or the pressure of fighting in the States,” said Indongo.
He added: “Fighting at this level is not only about me but it’s about my country and Africa at large. So, I have to beat Crawford for Africa and for my country. Not many African boxers get this opportunity and that’s why I have to inspire my fellow African boxers.”
Indongo fights Crawford on Saturday, August 19 at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Nebraska, USA in their WBC/WBA/IBF/ WBO world super lightweight unification bout.
Indongo enters the fight with a 22-0 record that includes 11 knockouts and comes off an April win over Ricky Burns. Indongo comes off the biggest win of his career after beating Burns in his backyard as an underdog and winning the WBA (unified) light welterweight title.
Indongo is a 34-year-old southpaw who stands at 5’10” and has a 71-inch reach. Indongo is a rangy boxer who uses his jab well and is an athletic mover who can be tough to hit at times. Indongo isn’t exactly known for his punching power, but he has won three of his last four fights by knockout, including his win over Eduard Troyanovsky.
The Namibian has a bit of a slugger feel to him, but when he connects cleanly, he can really hurt his opponent and completely change the fight. Indongo has a chance to fly up the rankings if he can pull off a third straight victory over a quality opponent on the road. This will be Indongo’s first fight in the United States.
Indongo should not be underestimated in this fight, as he beat Troyanovsky in Russia and Burns in the United Kingdom. He’s a proven boxer and his awkward style can be tough to deal with even for somebody as accomplished and talented as Crawford.
Crawford enters the fight with a 31-0 record that includes 22 knockouts. This will be Crawford’s fifth fight since 2016, and he comes off a May win over Felix Diaz. Crawford will be defending a belt for the eighth time in his career and continues to make a case as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
Crawford is 29 years old and stands at 5’8”, has a 70-inch reach and an orthodox stance. There’s not much Crawford can’t do in the boxing ring when you also consider he can fight in either stance and makes adjustments round by round to wear down his opponent. This will be Crawford’s sixth fight in Nebraska, his birthplace.
– Additional info: sportschatplace.com