Kenyas Zarika out-foxes Jamaican Ashley to land WBC title

Kenyas Zarika out-foxes Jamaican Ashley to land WBC title

Kenyan challenger Fatuma Zarika out-boxed and out-foxed Jamaican defending champion Alicia Ashley to win WBC super bantamweight title last night in Flint, Michigan, USA.

She becomes the second Kenyan woman professional boxer to hold a world title after Sarah Atieno who is the reigning UBO super featherweight champion.

With that remarkable victory on points, Zarika, 31, improved her record to 28 wins, two draws and 12 losses.

Ashley, 49, the oldest all-time world champion slumped to 23 wins, a draw and 11 losses.

Zarika Njeri alias Fatuma Zarika was born in Nairobi on 13 March 1985. She grew up in the sprawling estates of Riruta Satellite before she moved to Mathare North after her mother passed away.

Zarika was raised by parents of modest means and had to fend for herself from an early age at the Mukuru kwa Njenga slum in Nairobi’s Industrial Area.

The turning point for her came when she watched Laila Ali in action where the thrill of seeing the daughter of the late legend Muhammad punch opponents to submission drove her into boxing and she started training at Mathare 4A Gym under coach Okusimba.

“I started as an amateur in 2000 after leaving school and enrolled at Mathare Boxing Club,” she told wban.com. “However, during that year I fought four times and lost only once.”

The following year, Zarika turned professional and was signed up by Caleb Kuya, a former Kenyan international.

On October 12, 2003 in Nairobi she won a four-round decision over Rukken Koronoso of South Africa.

A week later, on October 19, 2003, again in Nairobi she won a four-round decision over Ester Herkole.

On November 29, 2003 she TKO’d Rukken Koronoso in the third round of a rematch, dropping Koronoso’s record to 1-2.

-Report sourced from courtesy/wbna.com

Tags:

kenya women Fatuma Zarika Boxing Jamaica WBC Alicia Ashley

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