By Monwabisi Jimlongo
A bout of flu has forced a postponement of Simangele ‘Smash’ Hadebe’s fight against Mexican boxer Alma Melissa Meraz Rodriguez by two weeks.
Hadebe, a recent winner of the Female Boxer of the Year award, was due to fight against Rodriguez in a World Boxing Council (WBC) International female flyweight title contest this coming Saturday. However, the fight has now been moved to Saturday, 26 August.
“The fight is still on, but not this coming weekend. We have a new date now. I couldn’t train for a couple of days because I had flu. I then submitted a doctor’s certificate, which confirmed that I had flu. I’m back at the gym now,” the reignjng South African and African Boxing Union (ABU) female flyweight champion said.
Initially, this fight was scheduled for the Emerald Resort and Casino in Vanderbijlpark. It’s now set to take place in Bluegumbosch, Qwaqwa.
Meanwhile, the Mexican boxer once challenged for the World Boxing Association (WBA) female junior-flyweight title, but lost the fight to her compatriot Maria Guadalupe Bautista Hernandez in September 2021.
The 30-year-old Meraz will go to the Hadebe fight with a professional record of 10 victories (two knockouts), three defeats and a draw.
