Even though he’s not going to make it to England next week, boxing trainer, Manny Fernandes, is confident that Ndabezinhle Phiri will emerge victorious against Brandon Lee Daord from Liverpool.
Bulawayo-born Phiri will go toe to toe with Daord in a vacant International Boxing Organisation (IBO) flyweight title fight at BOXPARK in Merseyside, Liverpool, in the United Kingdom on Saturday next week.
“Phiri’s preparations have gone on very well. He’s really in good shape and I’m pleased with him. He’s super, super fit. He has shown tremendous improvement in sparring. I don’t think the guy is gonna handle his pressure. I can predict that he’s gonna stop the guy,” Fernandes said.
Despite continuing to prepare Phiri for the fight, Fernandes won’t be in his corner as he will be guiding Charlton ‘Baby Pain’ Malajika’s fortunes during his vacant IBO bantamweight title contest against Landile ‘Man Down’ Ngxeke at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on the same day.
And in Fernandes’ absence, Ncedo Cecane has been given the task of manning the 25-year-old Phiri’s corner with Brad Norman assisting him. Cecane, a former South African flyweight champion, is the chief trainer at the WBC Gym in downtown Johannesburg.
Phiri and Daord were due to have fought in September, but the fight had to be rescheduled after the Liverpudlian picked up an injury while preparing for their clash.
Meanwhile, Phiri is rated number one in the IBO and ninth in the WBC ratings while the 29-year-old Daord, the current WBC International flyweight titlist, is 13th in the World Boxing Organisation (WBO).
The unbeaten Phiri has won all his 11 fights with five of those wins coming from stoppages. Daord, on the other hand, has registered 12 wins with three knockouts. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
