Cowboy keen to impress

WBF AFRICA super welterweight champion Vakufilapo ‘The Cowboy’ Wilhelm intends to retain his title when he takes on Malawian Limbani Masamba at the Windhoek Show Grounds on Saturday.

The fight marks a maiden title defence and the first fight as the main event for Wilhelm, who is determined to show he deserves to be the primary attraction for future cards.

Undefeated in six fights, the 28-year-old plans to overcome his challenger, who has a record of 12 wins and nine losses, and improve his résumé.

“It’s my first fight as the main event, so people will be expecting a good result. I need to show that Namibia has many great fighters,” he told The Namibian Sport.

“Apart from that, the other motivation is to defend my title. I have prepared well. I am fit and focused on what I need to do to win on Saturday,” he added.

The Cowboy is also keen to build a new brand, having peculiarly fought as Elvis Nashivela “by mistake” to date. There is nothing sinister about the name change, he assured.

“I was registered with the wrong name. There was another boxer called Elvis Nashivela, and people said we looked alike. So, people always called me Nashivela, and the name stuck. I was registered under that name by mistake, but we have corrected that now,” Wilhelm explained.

Wilhelm, who has won five of his six fights by knock out, and Masamba are expected to deliver an explosive match-up. Wilhelm anticipates a bruising fight, but one that will ultimately end in his favour.

“I believe he’s a good boxer. But I doubt he’s ever been tested by power like mine,” he said of his opponent.

“I’ve been in camp for three months because this is a fight to be taken very seriously. You need to be all there physically and mentally. I did my conditioning early. The focus of the camp was speed and power,” he added.

“A lot of people cannot fight high tempo for long. They start fast, and slow down. I’m in great shape, and it will show on Saturday,” Wilhelm said.

The Malawian has prepared well to win with a knock out, just like he did in 2015 when he beat Alpheus Shilongo in Outapi, he said.

“Namibians will be in for a good fight when I step in the ring on Saturday night,” Masamba boasted.

Also on the card, promising Namibian national champion Nathaniel Kakololo will take on Israel ‘Money Machine’ Kamwamba from Malawi for the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) international featherweight title.

In another well-matched encounter, Kakololo is 6-1-1 (2) as a professional, while Kamwamba brings a 9-2-1 (5) ledger. This fight is also expected to provide pure fireworks, and the winner sets himself up for bigger fights in the future.