It was an afternoon of mixed fortunes for South Africa-based Malawian boxers on Saturday as revered female boxer Ellen ‘The Tigress’ Simwaka’s world title bid fell through while blossoming male boxer Mayamiko Mozland won a non-title bout.
During a fight monitored on Sowetan Live, Simwaka put up a vintage show against South African champion Bernice ‘The Badger’ Ferreira in a 10-round International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior lightweight title fight at Wild Coast Sun in Eastern Cape, but she lost on unanimous points decision.
All the three judges, Siphiwe Mbini (96-92), Patrick Mukondiwa (97-93) and John Shipanuke (98-92), awarded it to Ferreira.
robbed. | Courtesy of Simwaka
Victory would have seen the 33-year-old becoming the first Malawian female boxer to win a world title.
But in an interview yesterday, Simwaka said the result did not reflect what happened in the ring.
“I have been robbed of the fight. I won that bout. It’s frustrating,” she said.
Her trainer Vusi Mtolo felt Simwaka did enough to win the bout.
“I think she deserved better than what she got and, obviously, we are disappointed,” he was quoted as having said by sowetanlive.com.
Following the loss, the former IBF Africa international and WBF inter-continental bantamweight champion’s record is now at 14 wins, including eight knockouts, eight losses and two draws.
Meanwhile, Mozland registered his sixth win when he knocked out Thepiso Mokgadi in the first of their scheduled six-round super lightweight bout in Johannesburg.
It was Mozland’s fifth knockout and his record stands at six wins, a loss and a draw.
After shaking off some early lethargy, the promising Malawian boxer wasted no time to exert his authority with successive body shots that forced his opponent to surrender.
