President Jakaya Kikwete will grace a “Title Night in Tanzania” that will witness high profile boxing bouts at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Dar es Salaam on Friday.
President Jakaya Kikwete
On that night one of Africa’s most celebrated boxers and an up and coming brawling fighter from the USA will square off to decide the new World Boxing Federation (WBF) super middleweight world champion.
“We are expecting President Jakaya Kikwete to be the guest of honour on the event with Minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports Fenella Mukangara and other government officials who have confirmed their attendance,” one of the organizers said on Monday.
Francis Cheka, the current IBF Continental Africa champion, is the number one ranked super middleweight in Tanzania. The 5′ 10 1/2″ Cheka will take his 28-7 record with 16 KOs into the WBF world title fight against Phil “The Drill” Williams, who hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota, US, and has compiled an impressive 12-5 record with 11 KOs.
The 5′ 11″ Williams will be fighting his first professional bout outside the US. The scheduled 12-round Cheka-Williams WBF super middleweight world title fight is the main event at “Title Night in Tanzania.”
The card includes four other exciting fights featuring many of Tanzania’s top-ranked boxers looking to dominate in their respective weight classes and move up in the international rankings.
Prior to the main event, another WBF title fight will also be at stake when Mada Maugo (15-9, 11 KOs), rated number three super middleweight in Tanzania, takes on Thomas Mashali (8-1, 5 KOs) rated number one middleweight in Tanzania, for the WBF super middleweight Africa title championship.
The scheduled 12-round Maugo-Mashali bout will be a heated contest because both fighters lost earlier to Cheka this year and want to redeem their honour in the ring. Mashali lost by TKO in 10 rounds to Cheka two months ago while Maugo lost by TKO in seven rounds in 2012.
Both fighters are primed for this bout in front of their hometown fans and want badly to claim the WBF Africa title belt. Recognized as one of the world’s top sanctioning professional boxing organizations, the WBF has crowned champions in 15 different weight divisions in high-profile bouts in the US, Europe, Asia and Africa.
The WBF sanctioned title fights are being organized by Hall of Fame Boxing & Promotions (HOF) and based out of Canton, Ohio, USA in Collaboration with Nai Incorporation Company Limited based in Tanzania.
HOF Boxing is also working in collaboration with the Tanzania Professional Boxing Association (TBDA) to organize “Title Night in Tanzania.” “There will be a lot of excitement and energy in the crowd because we are showcasing three well-known fighters from Tanzania in Cheka, Maugo and Mashali,” the organizer said.
“We have a tough journeyman fighter in Williams from the US who wants his shot at the super middleweight world title against Cheka. On top of that, we are showcasing several more top-ranked Tanzanian boxers in the undercards.
“We are anticipating a full house at the Diamond Jubilee plus live television coverage across the region and the continent.” The evening will begin with a scheduled four-round bout featuring Ibrahimu Class, the number two ranked light welterweight in Tanzania vs. up and coming Tanzanian lightweight Hamid Shomari. At ringside to provide television commentary will be two-time defending world heavyweight champion Francois Botha.
“Title Night in Tanzania” on Friday is a prelude to a larger event scheduled for April 2014 in Tanzania billed as “Knockout Malaria.” Hall of Fame Boxing and Nai Inc are working with top-ranking officials of the Tanzanian government to hold a day-long event at Tanzanian National Stadium to raise fund to help fight malaria, one of Africa’s deadliest diseases.
“Knockout Malaria” will have far-reaching benefits beyond raising money for malaria research and prevention. The South African Team Francois Botha, Howard Goldberg, Ribbink Drake and Edward Marshall arrive today so is the team from America who are Williams, Charles Daszkiewics and Filbert Tongola.