Catherine To Fight Japanese

Zambia’s WBC silver bantamweight champion Catherine Phiri will defend her title against a yet to be named Japanese opponent in November.
And Oriental Quarries Boxing Promotions has unveiled a K675,000 budget for Catherine’s fight where Zimbabwean and WBC international welterweight champion Charles Manyuchi will also defend his title against an American.
OQBP manager Christopher Malunga said at a media briefing that Catherine and Manyuchi would defend their titles at the Government Complex on November 22, where four local bouts have been earmarked.
Malunga said he would confirm the names of the two opponents once the contracts were sealed.
“Our next promotion will be on November 22 at the Government Complex. Catherine will fight a Japanese boxer which will be our main bout and Charles Manyuchi who will arrive in the country today (yesterday) will fight an American boxer. I can’t tell you the names at this stage because we need to seal everything,” Malunga said.
Both Catherine and Manyuchi won their maiden World Boxing Council titles in March after beating Germany’s Pia Mazelenik and Patrick Allotey of Ghana respectively.
Malunga, however, said OQBP was preparing Catherine to get the main belt in her WBC weight category.
He said the title defence against the Japanese fighter would help prepare Catherine for the main title, adding that the stables was arranging a warm-up tournament either in Kasama or Chipata before November.
Malunga said the tournament was a way of taking boxing to the rural areas and presenting the champions to the people who are far away from Lusaka.
He said the warm-up would go ahead once the stables find a partner and sponsor.
“We want to establish gyms in the rural areas. We realised the time went to Mongu that people have a lot of interest and want to come on board,” Malunga said.
OQBP last month organised an exhibition fight for Catherine in Mongu as a way of taking the sport to the rural areas.
Meanwhile, Malunga said OQBP would need K674,615 to successfully stage the title defence tournament in November.
He said K297,750 would be used as purse money for the boxers.
“We want to reduce on the complications. So we are announcing the purse money in advance so that there are no complaints after the bout,” he said.
The four supporting bouts will see Mbiya Kanku fighting Isaiah Chilufya in a welterweight local bout, Lolita Muzeya will be up against Chitalu Mulenga, while bantamweights Pethias Chisenga and Martin Manda will face off and Gibon Kamota will fight Benard Mwango in another bantamweight clash.