Catherine Phiri’s World Boxing Council silver bantamweight title fight against Nadia Hokmi of France is off.
The two boxers were set to clash on January 25 at Government Complex in Lusaka for the vacant WBC title.
Promoter Christopher Malunga said the Hokmi camp have decided that their boxer will defend her WBF title instead.
Malunga said Catherine, who is also the Africa Boxing Union womens champions, is now tentatively set to return to the ring on March 15 against a yet to be known opponent.
“Everything was agreed and we sent the contracts but when I started pushing to have the contracts back, they said they had decided to pull out and concentrate on defending the (WBF) World title,” Malunga said.
Hokmi was due to be Catherine’s highest ranked opponents to date from her only seven professional fights.
The Frenchwoman is ranked third on the WIBA rankings while Catherine is 11th.
Hokmi has 20 wins, six loses and one draw while Catherine is unbeaten with seven straight wins.
“WBC will soon give us another opponent and the boxers are not breaking camp. We had to move the date so we could have enough time to market the fight,” Malunga said.
Meanwhile, Malunga said Charles Manyuchi’s bout against Patrick Allotey of Ghana for the vacant WBC International welterweight title will take place as scheduled on January 25 at government complex in Lusaka.
Manyuchi’s fight shared top billing with Catherine’s cancelled fight.
It is wrong to let Zambians get beaten by Ghanians all the time. Zambia should fight Ethiopians, Eritrea and such light weights.
Its clear @ Nostradamus does not know that Manyuchi is a very good up-coming boxer , that the boy is Zimbabwean not Zambian and that in october 2013, he beat Isaak Sowah of Ghana via a 3rd round Knock out.
In the ring a boxer fights another boxer, nothing to do with respective boxer’s country of origin. Its true Zambia & Zimbabwe are sister countries thats why many pipo do not mind whether Manyuchi is Zambian or Zimbabwean, I am Ghanaian that why I admire this Zam/Zim relationship from afar.
@Banku, well said bro!
Solola Bye!
To return to the rung. What the phak is this?
And who will Kabimba fight for the vacant XXXX belt coz Mandingo has also pulled out….