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Francis Cheka, the massively
popular darling of Tanzanian
boxing, is the new World Boxing
Federation World Super
Middleweight Champion after
defeating tough American Phil
“The Drill” Williams on Friday
August 30 at the Diamond Jubilee
Hall in Dar Es Salaam.
Cheka put on a dominant
performance in front of 5000
fanatical fans, outfighting and
outboxing Williams, using his
wonderful left jab to control
the pace. In round four the
home-man dropped his foe with a
right-left combination, but
Williams managed to beat the
count of South African referee
Darryl Ribbink.
While Williams remained
dangerous with his significant
knockout-power throughout the
fight, Cheka never looked in
danger of losing, and after
twelve rounds of boxing there
was no real doubt as to who
would be awarded the WBF
championship belt.
Judges Fidel Haynes, John Chagu
and Eddie Marshall scored the
bout 116-113, 117-111 and
119-109 in favor of Francis
Cheka, who improved his
professional record to 30-7-1
(16). Phill Williams travels
back to Minnesota with a
deceiving 12-6-2 (11) ledger.
In the evening’s second WBF
title fight, local rivals Thomas
Mashali and Mada Maugo went at
it for the vacant All Africa
Super Middleweight crown. Both
boxers had left most of their
technical skills at home, and
instead chose to go all out in
what turned into a real war.
During the cause of the ten
rounds, neither man gave an inch
and continued to slug it out. It
was not always petty, but it
occasionally brought the
spectators to their feat in
excitement.
In the end the majority decision
went to Mashali by scores of
95-94 from judges John Chagu and
Darryl Ribbink, while Fidel
Haynes had it even at 95-95.
Referee was Eddie Marshall.
The new World Boxing Federation
All Africa Super Middleweight
Champion moved his record to
9-1-1 (5), and the losing
co-challenger drops to 15-10
(11).
The Cheka vs. Williams, Mashali
vs. Maugo WBF championship
doubleheader, billed as “Title
Night In Tanzania”, was promoted
by Hall Of Fame Promotions. WBF
President Howard Goldberg was in
attendance to supervise and
award the winners their belts,
and former World Heavyweight
Champion Francois Botha was at
ringside doing TV commentary.
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