By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
THE World Boxing Council (WBC) has picked Christina McMahon as Catherine Phiri’s opponent for the vacant WBC female bantamweight gold title to be staged in Lusaka next month.
ORIENTAL Quarries Boxing Promotion operations director, Christopher Malunga (right) addressing a Press briefing in Lusaka yesterday as boxer Catherine Phiri (centre) with another boxer Alfred Muwowo listen.
Meanwhile, Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotion (OQBP) announced a shift in dates for the super-fight by a week to May 2 at Mulungushi International Conference Centre after a request from the McMahon’s camp.
McMahon is a 40-year-old Irish boxer coming from Monaghan and has a perfect record of six wins from six fights with three of those coming by way of knock-out.
She was born in June 1974.
Catherine could not hide a grin on her face when asked about her opponent considering the age and lean professional record.
“I have gone all over the net looking at her, her record and a few videos and I respect her because she has won all her fight and to me it not about the opponent, it’s about the title so I’ll take it very serious,” she said.
Catherine admitted the age of McMahon was a bit flattering but was quick to state that in boxing you fight your best at every point and this bout will not be an exception.
Her manager Chris Malunga, the OQBP operations director, said every boxer was always dangerous until the final bell and Catherine should be wary of that.
“Besides, this is a big WBC title she will be fighting for and looking at the reputation of the WBC, they can never give you a weak opponent so this will be a tough fight. It kind of reminds me of Natalie Forget of Canada,” Malunga said.
Forget is the Canadian bantamweight boxer, also born in 1974 and fought Catherine at Government Complex in Lusaka two years ago.
To date that remains arguably the best fight seen by Zambian boxing fans and the toughest for Catherine despite winning unanimously.
Coach Mike ‘Weaver’ Zulu said it was good the long wait was over for the identity of the opponent but that nothing had changed in Catherine’s training regime.
Zulu said Catherine had been training hard for the fight and there would be no slackening until the Zambian pugilist achieved her life-dream of becoming a proper WBC champion.
