Johannesburg – SA flyweight champion Simangele “Smash” Hadebe will get a crack at the continental African Boxing Union title when she squares up against Tanzanian Halima Vunjabei at the ESPN headquarters in Joburg on February 24.
Hadebe, 27, is Boxing SA’s 2017 and 2018 Female Prospect of the Year award winner from Kwa-Thema, Springs, and a member of the Unleashed stable.
She will be facing Vunjabei for her first international bout as she went into camp this week to start her preparations for the fight of her life. Her professional boxing record reads 16 fights, won 11, lost three and drew two.
Hadebe’s manager, Colleen McAusland, said much like her charge, Vunjabei had a “few good fights” and was a “good match” for “Smash” as they were both top girls on the continent in the flyweight division.
“Smash is at the peak of her career nationally and her boxing is world-class.
“We are going to measure everything from this up-coming fight and then gradually prepare her towards fighting for one of the world bodies’ international title.”
Hadebe won the national flyweight title against three-time opponent Thema Zuma on a unanimous points decision last September. She then fought in an eight-round, non-title bout when she traded leather with Zimbabwe’s Patience Mastara at Gaborone International Convention Centre in October.
McAusland was full of praise for Hadebe: “She is a hard worker and puts the work in, but because of Covid, things have not gone the way we had planned.
“She’s unemployed and boxing is a way to put bread on the table. We are thankful to her sponsors Rex Diff and Gearbox, and Dent Doctor.”
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