Zimbabwe boxers bring home two WABA titles from Zambia

Zimbabwean boxing enjoyed a successful night in Zambia after Peter Pambeni and Partson Mutengwa won World Alliance Boxing Association (WABA) titles at the "Night of Long Knives 2" tournament in Kitwe on Saturday.

Pambeni marked a stunning return to professional boxing by capturing the WABA Lightweight Supreme title, while Mutengwa claimed the WABA Super Lightweight championship.

The only blemish on Zimbabwe's campaign came when Tinashe Zihove fell short in his title bid, losing to American boxer Jo Gordon.

The tournament featured internationally renowned referees John Shipauka and Ray Chavez and attracted fighters from several countries.

Pambeni, a former World Boxing Organization (WBO) Africa champion, produced a devastating performance, knocking out highly rated Nigerian Yusuf Adeniji in the opening round.

Adeniji entered the contest with an impressive professional record of 17 wins and one defeat but was unable to beat the referee's count after being floored early in the fight.

An emotional Pambeni described the victory as the start of a new chapter in his career.

"Peter Pambeni is back, right back," he said after the fight.

"Look, I was never going to walk away from boxing. I am really excited with the victory, especially given the way I attained it.

"I knew the opponent was never going to make it easy for me if you look at his impressive record.

"But my strategy worked wonders, and I would like to thank everyone involved, my family, and the board (Zimbabwe National Wrestling and Boxing Control Board) for encouraging me to take a step back into the ring.

"This is just the beginning, and when the beginning brings you joy by delivering such a coveted title, you know you are destined to scale the same heights, if not better. Remember, in 2019 I was the WBO Africa champion."

Mutengwa also impressed, using his trademark counter-punching style to defeat American opponent Efrain Esquivias by technical knockout in the seventh round to secure the WABA Super Lightweight title.

"I am very happy to have managed to win this belt. It means a lot for me and my country," Mutengwa said.

"It wasn't an easy fight at all. But I would like to thank God for making it happen. The fight was very tough. It was never going to be a stroll in the park given the calibre of the boxer I was facing. But I am happy I managed to outmanoeuvre him in the seventh round."

All three Zimbabwean fighters were trained by Clyde Musonda of the Delta Force Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Academy.

Musonda praised his fighters for exceeding expectations.

"The boys have made the country proud. The opposition they faced were not small names in the world of boxing.

"When we went there, we never expected to bring back the belts. We just thought we were going there to prepare for more fights in the future, but the character shown by my boxers was out of this world," he said.

"I am absolutely happy with the way they performed. Zihove was also good, but he faced a really top boxer who had a better strategy than his. He was never lacking in effort."

The victories mark a significant boost for Zimbabwean boxing, with Pambeni's successful comeback and Mutengwa's title triumph highlighting the country's growing presence on the regional and continental boxing scene.