Shimada ready for Hitman

JAPAN’S Takahiro Shimada is more than ready to challenge Namibia’s WBA lightweight champion, Moses ‘The Hitman’ Paulus in Windhoek on Saturday.

The Japanese boxer and his trainer, Kuniaki Shibata and manager, Kengi Yonekura, touched down in the capital yesterday and are poised for the first-ever world title defence on Namibian soil. The fight will be held at the Windhoek Country Club and Resort and also pits several other undercards.Shimada, who struggled to speak English, said he was ready for the fight, but reckons that Paulus will give him a tough fight.He said he has seen the Namibian fight before and rates him high, especially after watching him downing former lightweight championship Yusuke Kobori, also from Japan earlier this year.Shimada has 28 fights of which 23 are wins, four losses and a draw, while the Namibian boasts a 100 percent record of 24 fights without a loss.Paulus said he was no longer preparing for the fight, but was ready to face his challenger.’I don’t have any injuries or anything of that sort. I am more than ready to do the business. I have been training very hard and waited for this for a long time now. I want to go and fight and keep my title,’ he said.Moses, currently regarded as Namibia and Africa’s most prolific lightweight boxer and the best pound by pound World Boxing Association (WBA) fighter in the world in his weight.Shimada is ranked 13th in the world, but that will not deter the Namibian who goes into the defence with a home turf advantage.Earlier, Paulus said he was willing to go the distance of 12 rounds, but if given a chance of knocking his opponent out in the early rounds, it will be a bonus for him.Shimada is now 37 years of age and has been in the business for the past 17 years, while he has been slugging it out in the pro-ranks for the past 12 years.The fight will be held at the parking lot of the hotel and at least 3 000 people will be catered for. According to Namibian boxing promoter Nestor Tobias, ringside tickets go for N$500, middle stand for N$300, while the grand stand seats will be sold for N$150 each.He said the fight is sanctioned by the Namibia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (NBWCB) Board and WBA, while it is promoted by the Nestor Sunshine Boxing and Fitness Academy.World-renowned boxing promoter Don King, will not come to Namibia anymore according to Tobias, as they could not raise enough money to have him here.corry@namibian.com.na