Hitman hits the big time

NAMIBIA’S prolific boxer Paulus ‘The Hitman’ Moses landed the biggest title of his life when he emphatically captured the World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight world title against Japan’s Yusuke Kobori on Saturday.

The Namibian won by unanimous decision after the fight went the distance of 12 rounds at the Pacifico in Yokohama, Japan.
Moses, who was the challenger, is now undefeated in 24 fights in the paid ranks, while he boasts an impressive 17 knockouts (KOs).
A Thai judge scored the 115-113, a Puerto Rican judge counted 115-113, and an Australian judge had it 119-109, all in favour of Moses.
The 28-year-old, whose career blossomed in 2005, becomes the second ever Namibian world champion after former super-middleweight demolisher Harry Simon.
But it is the first world title victory for his dedicated trainer and promoter Nestor Tobias, who has been patient for this fight after it had been postponed several times.
Namibia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board chairman Kelly Nghixulifya said it was an excellent achievement for Moses, who came to Windhoek about ten years ago from his hometown Okapya in search for a job.
‘Not only did he reaffirm Namibia’s name on the world map, but he consolidated the exceptional talent that the country has in its quest to produce world champions. He was clearly hungry for a win, as he did not fight for a long time. We should all be very proud of him. He is a true champion and a true ambassador for the country,’ he said.
Moses, a hard puncher who clearly dominated proceedings from the first bell, said after the fight: ‘I hit a jab in every round. That’s the key to my victory. I’m really happy to become the first world champion of the new year. I’m proud of it.’
A warrant officer in the Namibian Police, Moses is also the current holder of both the WBA Pan African and the WBA Intercontinental titles.
He has defended both titles flawlessly, but will face a bigger challenge this year, when he is expected to defend the world title.

TOUGH CHALLENGES

Moses, who knew nothing about boxing ten years ago, took a lift in a bus to Windhoek to look for better opportunities as there were none at his Okapya hometown in northern Namibia.
He heard about the Nestor Sunshine Boxing and Fitness Academy in early 2000 after failing to land a job and immediately joined it, subsequently ending up as a trainee with the Namibian Police.
Tobias realised his talent and decided to keep him at his academy and on several occasions, threw him in the deep end by sparring with bigger opponents, while at the same time, he took part in various local tournaments.
Amazingly, he won most of his amateur fights through knockouts in the fourth round. He has an amateur record of 45 fights with no defeats.
Moses knows the hardships in the paid ranks as he at times had to go home with at a mere N$500 after a fight as he tried to build his career, whilst looking at punching his way to the big time.
On Saturday, he knocked his way open to stardom and his purse after Saturday’s fight is believed to be in the millions.
It was the first attempt at a world title for Moses, who prior to the fight was ranked top in the WBA.
It was Kobori’s first defence of the title which he took away from Jose Alfaro of Nicaragua by a technical knock-out in May last year. He now has 23 wins, including 12 KOs, against three defeats and a draw.
‘He (Moses) was just stronger than me,’ said Kobori. ‘When it came to a decision, I knew I was beaten. He didn’t allow me to fight from my favourable distance. He has studied my fight really well,’ said Kobori after the fight.
The general public is invited to welcome Moses and his delegation at the Hosea International Airport today at 12h00.
The bus will depart from theMinistry of National Service Youth Sport and Culture offices (NDC Building) from 09h00 this morning. All are welcome to join.