WINDHOEK – Two of Namibia’s boxing old-campaigners Wilbeforce “Black Mamba” Shihepo and Vikapita “Beast Master” Meroro will this weekend embark on separate missions across the Orange River, where they will face South African opponents.
Namibia’s former WBO Africa super middleweight champion Shihepo will be in action at Time Square in Pretoria where he will take on hard-punching and highly rated South African opponent Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu.
Shihepo will square off against ABU cruiserweight champion Mchunu in a cruiserweight 10-rounder, a fight which is expected to produce some serious thrills and spills on the night. It will be a must-win fight for the 36-year-old Namibian as he is under pressure to bounce back from his last defeat against South Africa’s Akani “Prime” Phuzi in July.
Also on a redemptive mission across the Orange River is 34-year old veteran pugilist Meroro, who will also be in action this Sunday when he confronts a confident Phuzi at the Blairgowrie Recreation Centre in Randburg, north of Johannesburg. Phuzi is the same boxer that defeated Shihepo in July.
The two gigantic boxers will rumble it out over 10 rounds in what is anticipated to be a catchy cruiserweight bout, but it will not be a walk in the park for Meroro as the 25-year-old Phuzi is yet to taste defeat after nine fights.
Speaking to New Era Sport ahead of this weekend’s fight, Meroro was spitting fire as he promised to teach the South African a thing or two about boxing come Sunday.
“The boy is good but he is yet to meet someone like me, someone with experience and power to stretch him to the limit. I’m not going to joke around with him (Phuzi), unlike Shihepo in their last fight, I’m going there to beat that boy. Training went well and I’m really satisfied with the amount of work we put into this fight as a team. What is now left for me is to go out there and put up a great fight. I will obviously come out victorious. Phuzi is still a prospect and yet to confront someone with my experience and power,” said Meroro ahead of the battle.