Malawian boxer Mussa Mkwanda has opened up on his nightmare experience when he took to the ring against Zambian Mbachi Kaonga in a super middleweight bout in Lusaka on Sunday, saying he feared for his life.

He was one of the three local boxers who lost to their Zambian opponents in international non-title bouts.

The 43-year-old, who was knocked out in the second of their eight-round fight, revealed in an interview yesterday that there was a time when he even feared for his life after absorbing an avalanche of punches from his opponent.

Said Mkwanda: “I must admit that my opponent was tough. He could have killed me as he floored me by almost every punch he threw. It was a night to forget.

“It reached to a point where I realised that saving my life was the best option for me, so I just gave up.”

Mkwanda (L) on the receiving end of punches during the bout

He attributed his loss to poor preparations as he only trained for five days ahead of the bout after being slotted in at the eleventh hour as a replacement for his compatriot Roy Yuda, who could not make it after being attacked by thugs recently.

Said Mkwanda: “Immediately after getting into the ring, I knew I could not win or finish the bout. However, I had to force myself to fight considering the appearance fee that was offered. 

“With poverty striking hard, I could not resist the temptation of accepting the fight.”

This was the 14th loss, including six knockouts (KOs) for Mkwanda, who got an equivalent of K500 000.

 He has 11 wins, including nine KOs, and two draws. His opponent has three-straight wins (two KOs).

Added Mkwanda: “During my training, I had no time to practice tactics and techniques as I focused on reducing my weight by five kilogrammes [Kgs] to match with that of my opponent. That was compounded by the fact that I only had a few hours of rest before the fight after spending the whole day on the road to Lusaka.”

His compatriots Yusuf Ali and Agnes Luwisi also lost their bouts on the same night

 Luwisi was knocked out in the first round by Violet Phiri also from Zambia while Ali endured the entire eight rounds against Gracious Simwaliza before losing on points decision.

Ali and Luwisi could not be reached for comments yesterday.

The latest development comes barely a month after three other local boxers Mussa Ajibu, Dennis Mwale and Grey Chimkwapulo also lost international bouts in December.

Malawi Boxing Control Board (MPBCB) general secretary John Palichesi attributed the boxers’ defeats to lack of seriousness, inadequate financial support and  poor preparations.

He said they are worried with how most local boxers are losing the international bouts.

Said Palichesi: “It is sad that most of our boxers have not done well on the international stage lately. However, it is somehow understandable because unlike their foreign counterparts, they train on their own without corporate support. We hope companies will come in to help us.

“I also urge our boxers not to relax after bouts. They should always keep themselves fit as professionals because opportunities for bouts sometimes come unexpectedly.”

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