Tobias lines up cream of the crop

Nestor 'Sunshine' Tobias will showcase his most prominent boxers at his next boxing tournament in April.

Titled 'Independence Legacy Fight Part 2', the event will be staged at the Windhoek Country Club Resort on 20 April as part of the country's 29th independence celebrations.

WBO Africa junior lightweight champion Jeremiah 'Low-key' Nakathila will headline the event with a main bout against Zoltan Kovacs of Hungary.

The two boxers will trade leather in a WBO global junior lightweight title fight over 12 rounds.

Nakathila will go into the bout with a record of 18 fights, 17 wins and one defeat, while Zoltan boasts a record of 23 wins, five loses and one draw.

Tobias lauded MTC for making the tournament possible through its sponsorship.

“The global title is very an important one, given that it gives the boxers an opportunity to improve on their world ratings in their division. Nakathila will be coming up against a world-class boxer in this fight,” Tobias said.

The promoter added the fight will provide Nakathila with an opportunity to show the world he can become a world champion in his division. “Our intention is clear; we want Nakathila to fight for the world title against (Masayuki) Ito after this fight and that is why we opted to fight a world-ranked boxer and not just any opponent.

“We have for long wanted to fight the likes of (Danny) Garcia and other rated boxers, but could not make those deals happen, and we would therefore like to thank the Kovacs team for accepting our deal to come and fight in Namibia,” Tobias added.

Nakathila expressed his excitement. “I am excited about this big opportunity. I am confident of a win, but I will not take my opponent lightly.

“He is a world-rated boxer for a reason. I want to encourage the fans to come out in their numbers to come and experience world-class boxing. I am mentally and physically prepared and fully focused on this fight,” Nakathila said. Fight night will also see the return of deadly puncher and 2018 WBO Africa fighter of the year, Walter 'Executioner' Kautondokwa. The boxer will make his return to the ring after suffering his first career defeat against Demetrius Andrade in October 2018. “I have been back in the gym since my defeat in the United States and have been working hard. I keep learning every day and that is why my fans must expect a rejuvenated fighter on the night,” Kautondokwa said.

Another fight will be the current WBO Africa welterweight champion Mike Shonena defending his title against Shadrack Ignas of Tanzania Shonena will go into the fight undefeated and full of confidence, as he is now rated number seven in the world by the WBO.

Harry Simon Junior has also been given an opportunity to fight for a national title. He will come against Andreas Nghinananye for the junior welterweight title.

It will be Simon Jnr's first fight over 10 rounds.

“I would like to thank my promoter and the sponsors, MTC, for making all this possible.

“I know it will be my first professional title fight and I am ready to prove that I can become one of the greatest,' Simon Jnr said.

Tickets are available at Computicket at all Shoprite and Checkers outlets countrywide. VIP tables sell for N$10 000 a table and standard tickets cost N$200.

The other fights on card are as follows:

1. Welterweight six rounds - Emmanuel Mungandjela (Namibia) vs TBA

2. Featherweight six rounds - Onesmus Nekundi (Namibia) vs Lazarus Namalambo (Namibia)

3. Super bantamweight six rounds - Timoteus 'Remember' Shuulula (Namibia) vs Niikoti Johannes (Namibia)

4. Middleweight eight rounds - Paulinus Paulus (Namibia) vs Limbani Masamba (Malawi)

Jesse Jackson Kauraisa