Injured Chilemba to undergo surgery
Revered South Africa-based Malawian boxer Isaac ‘Golden Boy’ Chilemba is set to undergo surgery on his injured right shoulder next month in the US.
Chilemba retired after the eighth of his 10-round North America Boxing Federation (Nabf) light heavyweight title bout against Ukrainian Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Speaking in an interview from the US yesterday just before his departure for Johannesburg, Chilemba said: “I suffered torn ligaments on the shoulder in the third round. I am pretty messed up and I have to undergo surgery.
“I am at the airport now going back to South Africa and I will fly back to the States [US] on December 8 for the surgery in Pensacola, Florida.”
Asked if he is losing his grip following three successive losses, the ever upbeat boxer said: “I had two tough bouts against Sergey Kovalev and Eleider Alvarez which I lost prior to facing Gvozdyk, but I reckon my immediate past loss was purely on technical grounds. I will come back stronger.”
“And the determination on when he will bounce back will be made after that surgery, but he will be okay. Isaac is a strong character, it is such situations that make him even more strong,” she said.
In an interview with skysport.com after the fight Chilemba said: “I am devastated. If I hadn’t hurt my right arm in the third round, it would have been a completely different outcome. I was in an incredible amount of pain from the third round through the rest of the fight.”
Chilemba (24-5-2, 10 KOs), was trying to bounce back from two losses in a row to remain relevant in the division while Oleksandr Gvozdyk, a 2012 Ukrainian Olympic bronze medallist, was trying to brandish his credentials as a rising contender.
In a pre-bout interview with out sister paper, the Weekend Nation, he said: “This is the fight that will take me back to into the top five in the world rankings. I am now rated 10th from the second position I was just a year ago.”
According to skysports.com, it was Gvozdyk who accomplished his goal, forcing Chilemba to retire on his stool after the eighth round with a right elbow injury.
“Left jab, left hook and straight rights to the body really hurt him,” said Gvozdyk. “People don’t think I have a lot of fights but I had over 250 amateur fights. I just broke him down.”
“Chilemba threw plenty but never really tested the Ukranian’s chin and although he did not win every round, he looked like he was ready to increase the pace only for the surprise finish coming at the end of the eighth,” read part of skysports.com report.
Chilemba went to his corner and head down told trainer Roy Jones Jnr he had had enough, leaving Gvozdyk unbeaten record.
