Betuel ‘Tyson’ Uushona takes on Pius Dipheko

By: SHEEFENI NIKODEMUS

BETUEL ‘Tyson’ Uushona, Africa’s WBO welterweight champion, will today aim to retain his title against Pius Dipheko in South Africa.

Uushona’s promoter, Nestor Tobias, had previously said his boxer needed to remain active in order to attract a world title bout. However, a lack of funds have hampered the staging of a home fight for the promising boxer last month, which prompted the promoter to accept the invite for Uushona to travel to SA to take on Dipheko. 

Dipheko previously suffered a seventh round technical knockout to Namibia’s former WBO Pan African junior welterweight champion, Taks Naule, in Windhoek three years ago. Two years earlier, he had tasted victory over another Namibian, Kanime Kanime, the same night Paulus ‘The Hitman’ Moses captured the continental lightweight crown.

Uushona successfully defended his title, on ‘Judgement Day’, against Ghanaian Phillip Kotey in May. 

Featherweight fighter Abraham Ndaendapo, suffered an injury during training, and will not travel to Johannesburg to fight Oscar Chauke in an non-title undercard bout. Instead Gotlieb Ndokosho has taken his place. 

 

THE ROCK v SMOKEY

 

Meanwhile, Tobias has dispelled talk of WBO Africa bantamweight champion, Paulus ‘The Rock’ Ambunda’s supposed fight against Joseph ‘Smokey’ Hilongwa, after the latter’s planned fight, for the vacant WBA Pan African flyweight title, fell through.

Hilongwa was to battle South African Doctor Ntsele on August 28 but his promoter, Kinda Nangolo, could not raise the required funding to stage the fight. Ambunda, last month, broke into the top-five bracket of the WBO’s global rankings and was named the organisation’s African boxer of the year.

Hilongwa’s trainer, Duran Andreas, informed The Namibian of negotiations that had taken place between his and Tobias’ camp with regard to the two fighters squaring up in the near future.

“There’s no agreement,” said Tobias. “ We already have a plan for Ambunda.”

Tobias confirmed that there were ongoing talks between his academy and Andreas. However, he maintains that they only agreed to a memorandum of understanding between the two stables.

“Yes, we received a letter from Duran (Andreas) which proposed a fight between Smokey and Ambunda, and for us to work together,” he said. “We also wrote him a letter saying we can work together.”

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