Windhoek
Armed with great speed and sharp hands, Namibian boxer Sacky ‘Izinyoka’ Shikukutu can be expected to fiercely push South African opponent Chris van Heerden to the limits tomorrow, when they clash for the vacant WBA Pan African Welterweight title.
Nicknamed ‘Izinyoka’ (meaning snake in Zulu) for his remarkable ability to sprinkle opponents with an assortment of accurately strong punches, while freely dancing around them, Shikukutu will tomorrow face one of his toughest opponents in one of his biggest fights at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, South Africa.
With both Shikukutu and Van Heerden being southpaws (left-handed boxers), the fight has attracted massive interest and led to various boxing pundits dubbing it the ‘Battle of the Southpaws’. The fight will be televised live on Supersport.
As for Van Heerden, the US-based South African pugilist last fought at home in 2013 when he defeated Matthew Hatton. Since moving to California, he only lost once in his six outings abroad and will tomorrow be aiming to continue with his impressive form against the equally dangerous Namibian.
Shikukutu has a proud record of 22 wins, three losses and one draw with 13 of the 22 wins coming via knockout, and has won five of his last six fights. Van Heerden has 24 wins, (12 via knockout), two losses (one via knockout) and one draw. He also has won five of his last six fights.