Experience gives me an edge —Chilemba
Revered South Africa-based Malawian boxer Isaac ‘Golden Boy’ Chilemba believes the odds are stacked in his favour ahead of his World Boxing Association (WBA) light heavyweight title bout against Dmitry Bivol.
Chilemba (25-5-2, 10 KOs) will square up against the Russian world champion (13-0, 11 KOs) in Atlantic City, United States on August 4.
Said Chilemba in an interview from Johannesburg yesterday: “He [Bivol] is a world champion, so obviously I am against a good boxer. But I have one thing that he doesn’t have which is experience.”
The ‘Golden Boy’ said he is itching to be a world champion again after almost eight years.
“I last won the world title in 2010 and it was the IBO [International Boxing Organisation].”
Asked about the progress of his preparations, Chilemba, 31, said: “All is going well. I have seven to eight weeks before the fight and by then, I will be 110 percent ready.”
On his part, Bivol, 27, told boxingscene.com that: “I am glad that my next opponent will be a tough and well-known boxer in Chilemba! I will do my best to put on another exciting performance for all my fans!”
Bivol made his professional debut in 2014 with six straight knockouts. In 2016, he defeated Felix Valera to secure the interim WBA light heavyweight title. After the retirement of Andre Ward in September last year, the WBA elevated Dmitry to WBA light heavyweight world champion.
In November last year, he made his first successful title defence against Trent Broadhurst with a first round knockout. In March this year, Bivol handed Sullivan Barrera his second defeat and first career knockout loss with a thrilling 12th round stoppage.
