WBC elimination bout winner to face Zarika

Three-time World Boxing Council (WBC) Super bantamweight holder Fatuma Zarika will be waiting to know her opponent for the title when her former challengers face off to earn a spot for the rematch.

Mexican Yamileth Mercado will be in the ring with the former WBC champion Catherine Phiri in an elimination match where the winner will book a date with the Kenyan boxer 90 days later.

Phiri and Mercado earned the rematch after their promoters wrote to WBC citing exclusion of mandatory doping tests by Zarika promoters among other irregularities.

In a letter, WBC Women’s Championship chairman Malte Muller-Michaelis said the committee had reviewed all the claims of irregularities and came to a conclusion where the two will tussle in an elimination match and the winner get to face the defending champion. The committee further said it will issue a warning to Kenyan Boxing Commission to guarantee doping test.

In 2016, Zarika made history by becoming the first Kenyan to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) Super bantamweight title. The title has being challenged thrice, by Mexican boxer Yamileth Mercado in 2018 and Zambian boxer Catherine Phiri in 2017 and 2019. In all those attempts, Zarika successfully managed to defend her title.

Catherine earlier in March challenged Zarika and lost on points while in December 2018, Mercado also lost her bid to displace Zarika but both Catherine’s and Mercado’s promoters wrote to WBC requesting for rematches.

This comes albeit the Boxing Association of Kenya postponing their election to June 28 from May 28 amidst team leadership wrangles with two camps claiming to be in charge.

WBC further advised promoters for the two contenders to start preparations for the fight and also to reach on the fight conditions as well as signing of contracts before June 28.

Catherine Phiri’s coach Mulunga proposed to have the elimination match in Zambia on August 31.