The waiting is almost over for Thato ‘Captain Charisma’ Bonokoane as he will get an opportunity to shake off ring rust when he trades leather with tough Namibian opponent Fillipus ‘Energy’ Nghitumbwa in December.
This World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa junior-featherweight title contest is scheduled to take place at the Windhoek Country Club in Namibia on Saturday, 2 December.
And this is going to be Bonokoane’s first fight since he defeated Argentine boxer Diego Alberto Ruiz in a World Boxing Federation (WBF) junior-featherweight title contest at the Feathermarket Theatre in Gqeberha in October last year.
On the other hand, Nghitumbwa lost his WBO Global junior-featherweight crown to Filipino boxer and former world champion Johnriel Casimero from the Philippines in May. Casimero is the same boxer who wrestled the WBO bantamweight away from Zolani Tete with a third round stoppage win in November 2019.
Meanwhile, Bonokoane will become the third South African boxer to face Nghitumbwa, who has beaten Sabelo Ngebiyana and Innocent Mantengu.
Nghitumbwa stopped Ngebiyana in the 11th round during their shootout in October last year and he registered a sixth round stoppage win over Mantengu in October 2021.
Bonokoane, who is trained by Charritt Mukondeleli, has won 14 fights with nine of those being stoppages, lost five and drawn three while Nghitumbwa has 12 wins (11 knockouts) and two defeats.
