By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
At Government Complex
EXCITING hard-hitting boxer, Pethias Chisenga yesterday finally ascended to top of Zambian boxing when he defeated a more experienced and exposed Gibon Kamota to claim the national bantamweight title via a unanimous points decision after a 12-round bout.
Coming in as a late inclusion and as an undercard to the World Boxing Council (WBC) double title bill, Chisenga just had too much class for his bigger and taller opponent.
Chisenga sent Kamota to the canvas twice before toying around with 33-year-old towards the end of the fight and it was no surprise when all three judges gave him the fight with one of them Francis Chirwa giving him 10 of the 12 rounds.
The champions was in tears after the win and was obvious reminiscent of the one loss he has in his young career and was at the hands of Namibian Abmerk Shindjuu for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Africa title in Windhoek in December last year.
Chisenga takes the belt previous held by some Zambian boxing greats like Kennedy Kanyanta, Morgan Mphande and Tom ‘tiger boy’ Chisenga.
In another bout, Zambia’s Donald Kampamba took a fourth round via a Technical Knockout win over Chamu Gonorenda in an international light-heavyweight non-title after the four brutal rounds which saw the Zimbabwean go on his knees in surrender after he had take one too many punches to the body.
There were more happy times for Zambians boxing fans as Lolita Muzeya outclassed her Zimbabwean opponent Monalisa Sibanda to take a unanimous point decision win in an international welterweight non-title fight and showed just how much potential the country had in women boxing.
Muzeya was so dominant that few remembered that this is the same Sibanda who gave Esther Phiri a tough bout in the Zambian heroine’s last bout with all three judges give her all six rounds.
In a bout that left fans robbed, Zimbabwean welterweight boxer Takudzwa Kuchocha lost in the first round without one significant punch landing on his face but went to the canvas with one knee in a bout against the exciting Congolese Mbia Kanku.
And while on Kuchocha was on his knee, Kanku hammered him with an uppercut that sent him to the canvas and on all fours and need medical attention in the ring before he walked off aided by two of his conermen staff.
The Zimbabwean fell to his third defeat in 17, while Kanku won his second fight out of three, his only loss coming in his first professional bout and it was at the hands of Charles Manyuchi.