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Gonorenda seeks double over Salam

Sport
NIGERIAN boxer Tony “Suga” Salam has vowed to knock World Boxing Federation (WBF) All Africa cruiserweight champion Chamunorwa “Sting” Gonorenda down when the two face off in a rematch dubbed Chaos in Lagos at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday.

NIGERIAN boxer Tony “Suga” Salam has vowed to knock World Boxing Federation (WBF) All Africa cruiserweight champion Chamunorwa “Sting” Gonorenda down when the two face off in a rematch dubbed Chaos in Lagos at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday.

BY HENRY MHARA

Chamunorwa “Sting” Gonorenda

The two fought at the Harare International Conference Centre on August 31, and Gonorenda won the match on a controversial split decision.

The decision left Salam disconsolate and he wept uncontrollably when the result of the fight was announced as he felt he had been hard done by the judges.

This time around, the England-based boxer does not want to take the fight to the score cards.

“I clearly won the first fight”, Salam said. “Gonorenda knows it, the Zimbabwean crowd knows it, and the millions who watched on TV across Africa know it,” Salam said.

“It is now personal. Gonorenda is going to pay, and this injustice will finally be resolved. I am not risking letting the judges decide my fate again, Gonorenda is being put to sleep,” he vowed.

Immediately after the fight, Gonorenda said that he would fight Salam, “any time, any place”.

Chaos in Lagos forms part of Kalakoda Promotions and Kwesé Sports’ Friday Fight Night series.

Salam who has a record of 11-2 (6), sees beating Gonorenda, 12-12 (7), and claiming the Africa Cruiserweight title as an opportunity to get big international fights.

For him, Sting is too little a barrier to his bigger dreams.

“As far as I am concerned, Gonorenda can’t do anything to me and will not stop me when we clash again. I am a potential world champion, as I will use the opportunity to climb to the next level which is to compete for the world title. I’m a Grade A fighter, while Gonorenda is a Grade D boxer, so I’ll beat him silly.’’

The fight is a contrast of styles with Gonorenda the come forward fighter, and Salam the slick counter puncher, fighting often on the back foot.

Salam who will need to be more definitive in his approach, clearly landed the cleaner blows, but it was the Zimbabwean champion’s relentless aggression and ring control that perhaps swayed the judges during their first match up.

“The Friday Fight Night series has been successfully staged across the continent, it is now Nigeria’s turn to roll out the red carpet and put on an exceptional sporting display,” Kwese Sports said.