MATEUS ‘The Beast’ Heita and Zimbabwe’s Tinashe Mwadziwana came face to face for the first time at a press conference at MTC yesterday, ahead of their WBA Pan African super bantamweight title fight in Walvis Bay on Saturday.

The two boxers will top the bill at the Together as One Part 5 boxing bonanza at the Kuisebmond Community Hall, which will see a total of 11 fights including three other national title fights.

Promoter Nestor Tobias said it was a big opportunity for the upcoming Heita.

“We’ve been talking about this fight for a long time, and now all the foreign boxers are here and the time has arrived. Tinashe is a very experienced boxer and it will be a challenge for Heita, but we’ve been grooming this kid for the past few years and now he is ready for big things.

“He’s the best kept secret in Namibian boxing, and nobody expected him to fight for the title so soon,” he added.

Heita, who is only 23 years old, only started boxing professionally three years ago and is currently unbeaten after five fights. In his last fight a month ago, he won the Namibian super bantamweight title when he beat Julius Sheetheni on a sixth round technical knockout.

In Mwadziwana he faces an experienced boxer who is 10 years older, but who’s record of 17 wins and 13 losses is not that impressive.

He also doesn’t have a good record in Namibia, where he has already fought seven times, but ended on the losing side each time.

He previously lost to boxers like Immanuel Naidjala, Joseph Katenda, Abmerk Shindjuu and Joseph Hilongwa, while his last defeat in Namibia was against Natanael Kakololo, who beat him on a knockout in February this year.

Mwadziwana however said he had trained hard and was ready for the fight:

“This is a big title and I’m ready for the fight. Me and my team have trained hard so I’m ready,” he said.

Heita was confident of victory.

“I don’t have much to say, I just want to say I’m ready for the fight and I’d like to invite everyone to see how I showcase my talent. Obviously I’ll be victorious and I’ll collect what is mine, because that belt belongs to me and it will open a lot of opportunities for me,” he said.

Three more national title fights will be on the undercard. Phillipus Shaanika, who has a record of eight wins, one loss and one draw, will take on Joseph Abel (three wins, two losses and one draw) for the national super bantamweight title over 10 rounds; Martin Mukungu (four wins and one loss) will take on Immanuel Jason (seven wins, three losses and one draw) fopr the national featherweight title over 10 rounds; and Andreas Mwenyo (two wins, three losses, one draw) will take on Lazarus Namalambo (seven wins, three losses, one draw) for the national bantamweight title over 10 rounds.