With his next fight only two weeks away, Beaven Sibanda feels that he has never been this ready as he’s going to clash against Filipino opponent Richard Garde in an IBF International minimumweight title shootout at the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday, 5 July.
While preparing for the Garde fight, Sibanda has had sparring sessions with current International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior-bantamweight champion Ricardo Malajika and his younger brother Charlton Malajika.
Charlton is fighting against RV Deniega from the Philippines in an IBO Youth bantamweight title contest in the main bout of the same tournament.
“The preparations have been good and are going very well. I have been preparing for the fight with sparring sessions against the Malajika brothers,” the 23-year-old Sibanda revealed.
As part of his preparations, Sibanda, who is trained by Vusi Mtolo at the Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy in Edenvale, has also spent time watching videos of Garde’s fights.
“I have watched some of the guy’s fights. He’s a strong and good opponent. But I’m ready and just waiting for him to come here,” Sibanda, who was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, said.
This is going to be Sibanda’s first fight at the Kempton Park venue since he lost to Siyakholwa Kuse in a World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver minimumweight title bout in December last year. And Sibanda will go to the Garde bout after he outpointed former South African junior-flyweight champion Nhlanhla Tyirha in Cape Town two months ago.
Sibanda has so far won eight fights with two of those victories coming from knockouts and a loss while 28-year-old Garde, a former Philippines minimumweight champion, has a professional record of 11 wins with nine stoppages and two defeats.
Garde’s last fight was a unanimous decision win over his compatriot Ariston Aton in an eight rounds bout four months ago. Aton had lost nine times and drawn once before losing to Garde. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
