Zimbabwe’s boxing team returned with two World Alliance Boxing Association (WABA) titles after Peter Pambeni and Partson Mutengwa recorded impressive victories...
Zimbabwe’s boxing team returned with two World Alliance Boxing Association (WABA) titles after Peter Pambeni and Partson Mutengwa recorded impressive victories at the Night of Long Knives-2 tournament held in Kitwe, Zambia, on Saturday night. Pambeni defeated Nigeria’s Yusuf Adeniji to win the WABA Lightweight Supreme title, while Mutengwa claimed the WABA Super Lightweight title after overcoming American boxer Efrain Esquivias. Zimbabwean boxer Tinashe Zihove, however, fell short in his title challenge after losing to American fighter Jo Gordon.
The tournament featured international competition, bringing together boxers from different countries under the supervision of internationally recognised referees John Shipauka and Ray Chavez. Despite facing experienced opponents from Nigeria and the United States, Zimbabwe’s representatives produced performances that attracted attention throughout the event, with two championship belts returning home.
Pambeni’s victory marked a successful return to professional boxing after spending time away from the sport. The former WBO Africa champion wasted little time in asserting himself against Nigerian boxer Yusuf Adeniji, who entered the contest with an impressive professional record of 17 wins, one loss and no draws. Moments into the opening round, Pambeni landed his trademark left hand, sending Adeniji to the canvas. The Nigerian boxer failed to recover before the referee completed the count, handing the Zimbabwean a first-round knockout victory and the WABA Lightweight Supreme title.
Advertisement
Speaking after the fight, an emotional Pambeni celebrated his comeback. “Peter Pambeni is back, right back,” he said. “Look, I was never going to walk away from boxing. I am really excited with the victory, especially given the way I attained it. I knew the opponent was never going to make it easy for me if you look at his impressive record. But my strategy worked wonders, and I would like to thank everyone involved, my family, and the board (Zimbabwe National Wrestling and Boxing Control Board) for encouraging me to take a step back into the ring.”
Pambeni said winning another major title gave him confidence that more success could follow. “This is just the beginning, and when the beginning brings you joy by delivering such a coveted title, you know you are destined to scale the same heights, if not better. Remember in 2019 I was the WBO Africa champion,” he said.
Mutengwa also delivered a strong performance in his championship contest against American boxer Efrain Esquivias. Using his familiar retreat-and-counter fighting style, the Zimbabwean remained patient throughout the bout before eventually forcing a Technical Knockout in the seventh round to secure the WABA Super Lightweight title. The victory added a second championship belt to Zimbabwe’s successful campaign in Zambia.
Following his win, Mutengwa expressed his happiness after claiming the title. “I am very happy to have managed to win this belt. It means a lot for me and my country,” he said. “It wasn’t an easy fight at all. But I would like to thank God for making it happen. The fight was very tough. It was never going to be a stroll in the park given the calibre of the boxer I was facing. But I am happy I managed to out manoeuvre him in the seventh round.”
Zimbabwe’s third representative, Tinashe Zihove, could not add another belt to the team’s tally after losing his contest against American boxer Jo Gordon. Although he did not achieve the desired result, Zihove remained competitive throughout his fight against an opponent regarded as one of the stronger competitors in the tournament. His effort completed Zimbabwe’s three-man campaign at the international event.
The three Zimbabwean boxers competed under the guidance of trainer and manager Clyde Musonda of the Delta Force Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Academy. Musonda praised his fighters after the tournament, saying they exceeded expectations by returning with two world titles despite facing highly rated international opponents. He noted that the team had travelled to Zambia mainly to gain valuable experience ahead of future contests but instead achieved greater success than anticipated.
“The boys have made the country proud. You know the opposition that they faced aren’t small boxers in the world of boxing,” Musonda said. “When we went there, we never expected to bring back the belts. We just thought we were going there to prepare for more fights in the future, but the character shown by my boxers was out of this world. I am absolutely happy with the way they performed. Zihove was also good, but he faced a really top boxer who had a better strategy than his, but he was never lacking in effort.”
Zimbabwe’s performance at the WABA Night of Long Knives-2 tournament ended with two championship victories against opponents from Nigeria and the United States, highlighting successful displays by Peter Pambeni and Partson Mutengwa. Pambeni’s return to the ring resulted in another major title, while Mutengwa added a second championship through a Technical Knockout victory. Although Tinashe Zihove did not win his bout, Zimbabwe concluded the tournament with two WABA titles and encouraging performances on the international boxing stage.
