By Kimathi Kamau
NAIROBI, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight champion, Fatuma Zarika, has promised to floor titleholder Catherine Phiri from Zambia, when they clash for the belt on Nov. 25 in Nairobi.
Zarika, who became the first Kenyan to win a WBC title, is eager to return to the ring after her title re-match scheduled against Jamaican Alicia Ashley in Dallas, Texas collapsed. She has trained and lived for two months in the United States.
"My mandatory title defence could not take place because I was not paid for the previous bout. Efforts by my manager to have the matter sorted out were futile thus the decision to cancel the fight," the 32 year-old pugilist underscored on Tuesday.
Zarika, who has now shifted her training base to Nairobi, admits little knowledge of Phiri but is nonetheless confident she will send her Zambian opponent to the canvass.
"For me, it's about boxing and not concentrating much on my opponent. I want to defend the title in front of my fans," the Kenyan underscored.
Having prepared thoroughly for the aborted bout against the Jamaican, the pugilist expressed her disappointment but drew positives from her stint in the U.S.
Zarika, who has a record of 28 wins, two draws and 12 defeats, dethroned Ashley as the WBC champion through a split-points decision last October at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint in Michigan, US.
Zarika blazed the trail that eluded Jane Kavulani who lost to Anita Christensen for the WBC female bantamweight title in 2008 before taking an unsuccessful shot at the vacant WBC female super lightweight title against Polish Ewa Piatkowska in 2015.
Celebrated former professional boxer Conjestina Achieng became the first Kenyan female boxer to take a shot at the WBC title for the World female middleweight title but lost on points to Yvonne Reis from U.S. in 2006.
