MATEUS ‘The Beast’ Heita and Jonas Matheus stepped up the ante with a war of words ahead of their WBA Pan African and WBO Africa super bantamweight showdown over 12 rounds in Walvis Bay tomorrow night.
At a rowdy press conference in Windhoek on Wednesday both boxers were in confident mood, while the opposing camps and trainers also got in on the act, talking up their boxers’ prospects.
Matheus, the challenger, said he was in top condition for the fight.
“I will show them and it will be no joke. I’m going to fight like I’m fighting for the world title. I’ll show you what I’ve done in the gym and I’ll prove myself on the 28th of May. I’ve heard people are talking, but on the 28th I will show them. Heita you must be ready for me, this is no joke,” he said.
Heita, the current WBA Pan African champion, was also in confident mood.
“The time is now and I’m ready for the fight. I see the talking is almost done and my respect for Jonas ends here, so come Saturday night, I’m going to show this guy who is the real Beast,” he said, adding that he will win by a knockout.
“I’m sure you won’t last, you won’t see the sixth round. You’ve never fought a boxer like me and I’m only giving you until the sixth round.”
Matheus’ trainer Tobias Nashilongo, meanwhile, took a dig at Heita’s trainer Nestor Tobias for calling the 36-year-old Matheus old.
“I hope Heita will be ready, it’s going to be toe to toe and bumper to bumper. I heard Nestor (Tobias) saying Jonas is a bit old, but I see your boy has been struggling with his weight. Has he made the weight, because I saw him yesterday running like he’s going to die,” he said.
Tobias, however, denied calling Matheus old.
“I never said that Jonas is old, I just gave his age to the NBC. I don’t know why he’s calling his boxer old, I never said that and when we prepared for the fight, we prepared for a young Jonas, who will be coming out firing and we are ready with a defensive and offensive plan,” he said.
Tobias, who is also promoting the fight through the MTC Nestor Sunshine Academy added that it was a historic fight.
“This fight is history in the making because it will be the first time that two Namibians will fight for two international titles in the same fight. Heita is the defending WBA Pan African super bantamweight champion, and last week I called the WBO and they agreed to also put the WBO Africa title on the line since it is vacant at the moment,” he said.
“It shows that boxing in Namibia is going places and in my opinion it is the number one sport in the country,” he added.
He said he expected a tough fight between two evenly matched boxers.
“I think it will be a very tough fight for both boxers, between the young and aggressive Heita and the experienced Matheus. There will be a lot on the line for both, because the winner will receive two African titles as well as a top 15 world ranking,” he said.
There will be a further 11 fights on the undercard, with the action due to start at 17h00.
The rest of the fights are as follows:
Super bantamweight over 10 rounds: Fillipus Shaanika v Julius Sheefeni.
Super middleweight over 6 rounds: Max Ipinge v Thomas Jerobeam.
Bantamweight over 4 rounds: Nestor Thomas v Nashilongo Tiofelus.
Junior lightweight over 4 rounds: Lineekela Nghifindaka v Ambrosius Kemunini.
Featherweight over 6 rounds: Martin Mukungu v John Herman.
Featherweight over 4 rounds: Frederick Nghutenanye v Immanuel Jason.
Junior lightweight over 4 rounds: Magreth Nangolo v Reinghold Mathias.
Junior welterweight over 4 rounds: Nestor Amukoto v John Rwish.
Flyweight over 4 rounds: Erastus Shapaka v Thomas Gabriel.
Junior middleweight over 4 rounds: Andreas Shapaka v Shipahu Deocar.
Featherweight over 4 rounds: Mervin Nehemia v Shangandjua Silas.
The fights will be live-streamed on NBC and the MTC Nestor Sunshine Boxing Academy’s Facebook pages.
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