By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
ZAMBIAN heavyweight boxer, Joseph ‘No Pressure’ Chingangu has been challenged by Rocky Kalenga of the DR Congo weeks before he takes on Francis ‘Galagata’ Zulu for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Intercontinental title.
Kalenga wants to fight Chingangu in June this year after the Zambian exchanges punches with Zulu in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) next month.
“I have heard about the challenge and I will accept it since it will be good training as I go back to the top of boxing. I have to take these fights and finally get to achieve my aim to grab the world title again,” said Chingangu in an interview.
Chingangu, a former IBF heavyweight champion, has set his eyes on challenging multiple heavyweight belts holder Vladimir Klitschko, a boxer he has fought before but lost.
Congolese matchmaker Dalida Masamba confirmed the challenge in an interview saying the DR Congo champion feels conquering the Zambian boxer would be a great achievement for him in climbing the ladder.
And what better way it would be for Kalenga to get into the ring than on the DR Congo national day that falls on June 30 in the highly populous and sports crazy town of Mbuji Mai.
“This fight has the support and sponsorship of really big businessmen and senior government officials in Congo DR. People like Ngoi Kasanja the Governor of Mbuji Mai as well as one of the biggest companies called Group Yamba ou Service de people and Governor General Richard Muyenge,” Masamba said.
Masamba, who has been the matchmaker for all Congolese boxers that have come to fight in Zambia, said the fight would be a great spectacle and the biggest fight ever hosted in Mbuji Mai.
He sung praises of Chingangu whom he said had a distinguished boxing career and one of the greatest achieving boxers from Africa adding that he will have a real challenge in Kalenga.
Masamba said winning a world heavyweight title was no mean achievement but that Chingangu managed to achieve it and that the list of boxers he had faced and defeated are high standing in the history of boxing.
“So it will be great honour to have him out here in Congo to fight on our National Day. We will have a big fight between two really exciting boxers who can conquer a lot,” he said.
Kalenga is not new to Zambia as he fought Francis Zulu already at Government Complex in Lusaka and lost on points after 12 brutal rounds in an exciting bout in March last year and his record reads two wins and two defeats.
