DOWN AND OUT

Osbourne Machimane lays on the base after he was sent to the canvas by Chingangu.


ZAMBIA’S JOSEPH ‘No Pressure’ Chingangu, the 43-year-old stopped South Africa’s Osborne Machimane in the seventh round to retain the Africa Boxing Union (ABU) heavyweight title in Lusaka at the weekend.
Chingangu took Machimane on the canvas four times. Three times on the trot in the fifth, sixth and the seventh round before Tanzanian referee, Charles Chagu stopped the fight.
Chingangu overpowered Machimane, who received forceful jabs all over his face in the first round but managed to beat the count and continued where he had left receiving more punches from the champion.
In the second round, both fighters exhibited an equal amount of strengthbut Chingangu almost committed a foul after he hit his opponent when the bell rang.
Chingangu sent Machimane back to the canvas in a short time in round five and six and the South African barely beat the count on those occasions.
By the time they returned for the seventh round, it was clear that was going to chuck out.
“The ref was going to get you killed for not stopping the fight earlier,” Chingangu told his opponent as sports deputy minister was assisting him to adorn his ABU belt while jubilant fans broke into song.
Machimane accused the referee of bias saying “This is the worst kind of refereeing I have ever seen. I want a rematch from South Africa” Machimane said.