Maridzo leads revival of Zimbabwean boxing

The dome is filled to the brim and the decision by the promoters not to have the much anticipated bout screened live on South African television appears to have paid off.

The bell rings, signaling the start of the third round and the crowd is once again drawn to the centre of the ring where Zimbabwean World Boxing Organization (WBO) Africa super middleweight champion Tineyi Marstak Power Maridzo is trading leather with South African challenger Michael Schultz.

After a few exchanges of light punches by the two hefty fighters, Maridzo suddenly coils his right arm and delivers a forceful right hook straight to the jaw of the unsuspecting Schultz, who staggers before dropping to the floor. It is a knockout!

Not a fluke

Maridzo a 27-year-old fighter from Kambuzuma manages to successfully defend his title and the crowd is left convinced that an earlier first round victory over Schultz in their first fight on November 20 was not a fluke.

Speaking to the media during a post match press conference, Schultzs trainer Nick Durandt says his fighter was felled by another lucky punch.

But an elated Maridzo rubbishes these claims and points out that he has clearly demonstrated, once again, that he is a better fighter than Schultz.

When I first knocked him out in November last year, most people dismissed my victory as a fluke although I knew that I had done my homework. Now, I have beaten him again and people still say that I am lucky.

They are just bitter because they cannot stomach the fact that a Zimbabwean boxer has just defeated a South African fighter in his own territory. I have a feeling that even if I beat him ten times, they will still say that it was a lucky punch.

I think I have shown the world that I deserve this title. The punch that took him down was perfectly timed and well executed, said Maridzo.

He revealed that prior to the match there had been reports in the South African media to the effect that he had been handsomely rewarded to lose his WBO Africa super middleweight title to Schultz.

Attempt to distract

It was all intended to distract me but I kept on focusing all the time. They were even saying that I had been paid to throw away the fight but the truth came out during the fight, he said.

Maridzo who now has a record of five wins (4KOs) against six loses is leading the revival of Zimbabwean boxing at a time when the sport had been plunging into the wilderness and struggling to produce a fighter capable of becoming an international champion.

His victory over Schultz earned him a place in the same league as Zimbabwes yesteryear greats the likes of Proud Kilimanjaro Chinembiri, Zvenyika Mosquito Arifonso and Langton Schoolboy Tinago.

Chinembiri, the late Zimbabwean heavyweight boxing champion, took boxing to another level in a category where the biggest and meanest boxers fight.?

The big man turned himself into a fierce fighting machine and made his country proud by winning the African heavyweight championship and even getting into contention for a fight for the world heavyweight crown.? No Zimbabwean heavyweight boxer has scaled similar heights like Kilimanjaro.

Willing to learn

Zvenyika on the other hand shook the world by punching his way to the Commonwealth flyweight boxing title in 1998. The late Tinago was also Commonwealth title winner.

John Whitehead a South African trainer who has been assisting Maridzo with technical preparations believes that the Zimbabwean has the potential to leave an indelible mark on the international boxing stage.

When he won the title last year, people suddenly began taking him seriously. It was a bit of a surprise because people did not expect this. It has been a long time since we had a good fighter from Zimbabwe and with the proper training and discipline he can achieve more in this sport, said Whitehead.

The good thing is that he is humble and is willing to learn. He has a lot of potential because he has got a strong right hand, he added.