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Hall Of Fame Boxing Promotion is
brining World Boxing Federation
championship boxing to Dar Es
Salaam, Tanzania on Friday
August 30, as two WBF title
fights will headline a big show
at the traditional Diamond
Jubilee Hall. The event has been
dubbed “Title Night In
Tanzania”.
The main event sees one of the
East African country’s most
celebrated fighters, Francis
Cheka, take on American
danger-man Phil “The Drill”
Williams for the vacant WBF
World Super Middleweight crown,
while Thomas Mashali and Mada
Maugo will square off in an
all-Tanzanian clash for the
vacant WBF All Africa title in
the same weight class.
“There will be a lot of
excitement in the crowd, because
we are showcasing three
well-known fighters from
Tanzania in Cheka, Maugo and
Mashali”, says promoter Jay
Msangi, and continues:
“Then we have a tough fighter in
Williams from the US who wants
his shot at the world super
middleweight title against Cheka,
so we are anticipating a full
house at the Diamond Jubilee,
plus live television coverage
across the region and
continent.”
Cheka, 29-7-1 (16), has won
fifteen of his last sixteen
bouts, and only lost to quality
opponents in a professional
career that started in 2000.
Among others, he has been in
with current world champion
Robert Stieglitz, reigning
British champion Paul Smith and
top middleweight contender
Matthew Macklin.
Along the way Cheka has won a
slew of smaller titles, and he
has been waiting a long time for
his chance to become world
champion. But, despite a
mediocre 12-5-2 (11) record,
Phil Williams is going to give
the home-man a serious run for
his money.
Williams turned pro in 2006 and
also only lost to top-notch
opposition, coming up short
against Marcus Oliveira, Matt
Vanda, Don George, Andrzej
Fonfara and Caleb Truax. He also
holds a draw against Truax, and
has beaten competent boxers such
as Macus Upshaw, Antwon Echols
and Shujaa El Amin.
Against Amin, Williams won a
minor championship by first
round knockout, and followed up
on that good result by scoring a
draw with fringe contender
Derrick Findley in a
back-and-forth battle this past
July 26. So the 36-year-old from
Queens, New York will travel to
Tanzania full of confidence that
he can return home a world
champion.
The WBF All Africa Super
Middleweight title fight between
Thomas Mashali, 8-1-1 (5), and
Mada Maugo, 15-9 (11), is also
promising fireworks:
“It will be a terrific battle,
because neither fighter wants to
lose”, said Msangi. “There is
some heated blood between them,
with Maugo proclaiming that he
will take out Mashali before the
seventh round. So this is going
to be a great contest for the
local fans!”
The “Title Night In Tanzania”
WBF championship doubleheader is
going to be a huge event in Dar
Es Salaam, and will be attended
by plenty of local celebrities.
Also, former WBF World
Heavyweight Champion Francois
Botha will fly in from South
Africa to do TV commentary from
ringside.
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