Flame ‘Special One’ Nangolo will defend his WBO Africa super featherweight title against Botswana champion Steve Bagwasi on 13 September.
Nangolo was originally scheduled to fight Rilwan Lawal of Nigeria but promoter Imms Moses this week announced that Bagwasi will be Nangolo’s new opponent, giving no reason for Lawal’s withdrawal.
Moses however did say that Bagwasi will provide a stern challenge for Nangolo.
“Namibia’s own Flame ‘Special One’ Nangolo is ready to light up the ring in one of the most anticipated bouts of his career — as he now faces Steve Bagwasi from Botswana for the WBO Africa super featherweight title,” Moses said in a press release.
“Originally scheduled to fight Nigeria’s Rilwan Lawal, Nangolo’s focus has shifted to a new and formidable opponent. Make no mistake — Steve Bagwasi is no step-down. With a pro record of 10 fights – 9 wins and just 1 loss, Bagwasi brings speed, skill and unshakable determination to the Windhoek stage,” he added.
The 24-year-old Nangolo is still unbeaten after 13 fights and won the WBO Africa super featherweight title in style five months ago when he knocked out Felix Ajom of Ghana in the fourth round.
He has made swift progress up the professional ranks after turning pro five years ago and previously also won the Namibian super featherweight and ABU Africa super featherweight titles.
Bagwasi, meanwhile, is a relative late-comer to boxing and only turned pro at the age of 22 in 2017.
He, however, made steady progress, winning his first four fights before suffering his first, and only, defeat to Ayanda Nkosi of South Africa in 2018.
Since then he went on an unbeaten run of five fights, which also included two successful outings to Namibia.
In 2019 he beat Sakaria Sheehama on a unanimous points decision in Windhoek, and two years later he beat Namibia’s former WBO Africa featherweight champion Sebastianus Natanael on a unanimous decision over 10 rounds at Walvis Bay.
Bagwasi, however, has not been very active since then. He only had two fights in 2022 and then after being inactive for close to three years, made a winning return two months ago when he beat the Zambian debutant Samson Phiri on a split decision over six rounds.
He will now have to step up to a 10-round title fight against the charismatic Namibian who has been in great form in recent fights, while he has also received top class training and sparring against top upcoming American prospects in Las Vegas in recent months.
“The WBO Africa belt is on the line. Two nations. Two warriors. One title – expect fireworks,” Moses’ press release stated.
The fight was originally supposed to take place on 16 August but Moses last week announced a postponement, so that it did not clash with Energy Nghitumbwa’s WBO Global Super Bantamweight fight against Mxolisi Zuma on 9 August.
“We’re a close-knit boxing community. Energy’s fight deserves our full focus, and so does Flame’s title shot. Spacing them out gives both events the energy and spotlight they deserve,” Moses said in a press release.
The fight will now take place on Saturday, 13 September at the Roman Catholic Hall, while the entrance fee is N$300 per person or N$20 000 for a corporate table seating 10 people.
