Focus now on Hitman and Mutu

NAMIBIAN sport lovers will now divert their focus on what is expected to be a monumental clash between Namibia’s finest boxer, Paulus ‘The Hitman’ Moses and Romania’s Mihaita Mutu after witnessing the football match between the Brave Warriors and Bafana Bafana last night.

The two fighters are squaring up for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Intercontinental Lightweight title at the Country Club on Saturday night, a fight which will surely be the highlight for this weekend. A win for either of them will put them in the top 10 rankings of the WBA.The two boxers both passed their medical examinations, which were conducted by Dr Bernard Haufiku.Haufiku checked their blood pressure, pulse, heart rate and also listened to their lungs.The fighters were both given a clean bill.Hitman, despite being the challenger, will go in as the favourite because of his home-ground advantage and his record of 16 straight wins.He has already declared that he will be the new titleholder after Saturday night.The Romanian, who also has a French passport, says the fight will be a mere formality for him and he does not consider the Namibian a threat at all.Speaking through an interpreter, Mutu said: “I think this fight will not be as tough like the ones I have fought in Europe.The opponents out there are much stronger and I don’t think the Namibian will beat me.”Moses countered by saying that the Romanian has no idea what he is walking into.”I don’t have a problem with what he says.I am ready for the fight, cause I have worked hard for this.I am the champion (WBA Pan African Lightweight title holder) and I will also take this one,” he said.Moses, whose preparations were interrupted by the recent death of his father, said the loss meant that he now had to work harder for his future.”It is part of life.I have to take it like that, said the soft-spoken but hard-hitting boxer about his father’s death.Mutu has more experience than the Namibian, as he has entered the ring 24 times as a professional and managed 16 wins.Mutu, a 29-year-old who was born in Bucharest, has been floored six times, while he managed two draws.Moses said earlier that he had absolutely no regard for Mutu’s record and all he wanted was to take him out on the day of the bout.”I am always ready to fight anyone.Boxing is big business for me now.There is no more joking and I am more than ready for this fight,” Moses said.Mutu has been in the country for about two weeks now and says Namibian people are generous, but he will not return that favour to his opponent.The friendly Romanian said the Namibian was going to feel the pinch of ‘big-time boxing’ and would regret challenging him for the title.Nestor Tobias, who doubles as Moses’s trainer and promoter of the fight, said Namibians will be treated to a feast of boxing, as there will be seven other fights before the main bout.Tobias, who is also a former boxer said the fight will also be a historic one as Mutu will be the first European to fight on Namibian soil.He said the sponsors, especially Telecom namibia are also playing an important role in the development of boxing in the country.He thanked all other sponsors who will be party to this fight.The undercards include some of Namibia top boxers, with the upcoming super-middleweight Vikapita Meroro, junior welterweight Jason Naule and middleweight Willbeforce Shihepo all in action.Welterweight fighter Daniel ‘Open Fire’ Kashela, who is a crowd entertainer and who wears an unusual hairstyle for each fight, will also be in action.Tobias said the opponents for all these boxers were still to be named.In other fights on the night, Simon Negodhi will take on Peteneni Elago in the flyweight division, while Siegfried Kaperu will engage Paulus Kapia in the featherweight category.Tickets for the Telecom Box-and-Dine event will cost N450 per person and N$2 700 for a table of six.Nampower, Air Namibia and Windhoek Country Club and Resort are the other sponsors of the event.Tickets are sold at the Namibian Boxing office, Telecom Business Centre and at the Country Club.A win for either of them will put them in the top 10 rankings of the WBA.The two boxers both passed their medical examinations, which were conducted by Dr Bernard Haufiku.Haufiku checked their blood pressure, pulse, heart rate and also listened to their lungs.The fighters were both given a clean bill.Hitman, despite being the challenger, will go in as the favourite because of his home-ground advantage and his record of 16 straight wins.He has already declared that he will be the new titleholder after Saturday night.The Romanian, who also has a French passport, says the fight will be a mere formality for him and he does not consider the Namibian a threat at all.Speaking through an interpreter, Mutu said: “I think this fight will not be as tough like the ones I have fought in Europe.The opponents out there are much stronger and I don’t think the Namibian will beat me.”Moses countered by saying that the Romanian has no idea what he is walking into.”I don’t have a problem with what he says.I am ready for the fight, cause I have worked hard for this.I am the champion (WBA Pan African Lightweight title holder) and I will also take this one,” he said.Moses, whose preparations were interrupted by the recent death of his father, said the loss meant that he now had to work harder for his future.”It is part of life.I have to take it like that, said the soft-spoken but hard-hitting boxer about his father’s death.Mutu has more experience than the Namibian, as he has entered the ring 24 times as a professional and managed 16 wins.Mutu, a 29-year-old who was born in Bucharest, has been floored six times, while he managed two draws.Moses said earlier that he had absolutely no regard for Mutu’s record and all he wanted was to take him out on the day of the bout.”I am always ready to fight anyone.Boxing is big business for me now.There is no more joking and I am more than ready for this fight,” Moses said.Mutu has been in the country for about two weeks now and says Namibian people are generous, but he will not return that favour to his opponent.The friendly Romanian said the Namibian was going to feel the pinch of ‘big-time boxing’ and would regret challenging him for the title.Nestor Tobias, who doubles as Moses’s trainer and promoter of the fight, said Namibians will be treated to a feast of boxing, as there will be seven other fights before the main bout.Tobias, who is also a former boxer said the fight will also be a historic one as Mutu will be the first European to fight on Namibian soil.He said the sponsors, especially Telecom namibia are also playing an important role in the development of boxing in the country.He thanked all other sponsors who will be party to this fight.The undercards include some of Namibia top boxers, with the upcoming super-middleweight Vikapita Meroro, junior welterweight Jason Naule and middleweight Willbeforce Shihepo all in action.Welterweight fighter Daniel ‘Open Fire’ Kashela, who is a crowd entertainer and who wears an unusual hairstyle for each fight, will also be in action.Tobias said the opponents for all these boxers were still to be named.In other fights on the night, Simon Negodhi will take on Peteneni Elago in the flyweight division, while Siegfried Kaperu will engage Paulus Kapia in the featherweight category.Tickets for the Telecom Box-and-Dine event will cost N450 per person and N$2 700 for a table of six.Nampower, Air Namibia and Windhoek Country Club and Resort are the other sponsors of the event.Tickets are sold at the Namibian Boxing office, Telecom Business Centre and at the Country Club.