The battle lines have been drawn as South Africa’s Rofhiwa ‘War Child’ Maemu, the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African featherweight champion, awaits his opportunity to avenge an October 2016 defeat on the Fox Sports Africa Boxing tournament at the Sun Meropa Casino in Polokwane on September 21.
The man he is going up against is Free State’s Tello Lithebe, who scored a split-points decision over the Gauteng-based champion for the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental crown.
Maemu is being brave and confident to take on Lithebe as his WBA Pan African featherweight title is on the line, a title he won in October 2017 when he beat Emmanuel Andeleki in Gaborone.
“The time has arrived,” said Maemu. “I’ve taken my time and weighed up all my options as I move ahead in my professional career. That loss against Lithebe has been a source of worry for me for many months. I sat with my manager and we plotted a path and decided to have a re-match against the Free State boxer. I need to set the record straight and move ahead.”
Maemu, trained and managed by the wily Alan Toweel from the South, has all the ammunition in his armoury to avenge his loss. That fight took place in Bloemfontein, the hometown of Lithebe.
“We will be on neutral ground this time,” Maemu said. “I’m the champion and I want to show him who is the best featherweight around at the moment. I’ve trained hard and for many weeks have been concentrating on my gym work. I feel fit and hungry for a win,” the 26-year-old Maemu, who has a record of 16 wins, seven losses and two draws, said.
Meanwhile, Lithebe has kept out of the limelight in the build-up to his return fight against Maemu.
He said, “The talking will be done in the ring. I don’t go around bragging. All I want to say is that I’m fit and ready for a 12-round encounter.”
Lithebe has a 29-fight professional record with 20 wins and nine losses. He lost his last two fights, the first against Sakaria Lukas for World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa featherweight title in December last year and in July this year he was beaten by Khanyile Bulana for the South African featherweight title.
The other major attraction on the Fox Sports bill is between the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Patrick Mukala, the defending WBA Pan African super-middleweight champion, and Ghana’s Emmanuel Anim over 12 rounds.
Mukala has been calling for stronger opponents after demolishing Tanzanians Ibrahim Tamba and Ibrahim Maokola in quick succession in his last two fights.
He comes up against a Ghanaian, who has a 13-win fight record but who has never fought outside Accra since turning professional in June 2013. According to his handlers, he is a strong fighter and loves to “mix it”.
In the meantime, another boxer from the Unleashed boxing gymnasium of Lionel Hunter in the South, Paul Mangxilana will fight in an International junior-lightweight six-rounder against Kutlwano Ogaketse from Botswana.
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