Ssebute unmoved by change of opponent
Abdul Ssebute has eyes set on the ABU regional title. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
KAMPALA-Abdul Ssebute’s fight for the East and Central Africa Boxing Union super flyweight title at the MTN Arena Lugogo, has had many twists and turns, postponed twice, but the fighter is still focused.
Recently, Nara Promotions announced that Ssebute will fight Patrick Kimweri, instead of another Tanzanian Hajji Juma Mwalugo, for whom he had trained for three months.
Promoter Hussein Babu said the more experienced Mwalugo was dropped because he has not been active for nearly a year yet his contract demands were very high. Mwalugo last fought and lost by technical knockout to Zambia’s Alfred Muwowo in Lusaka October 13, 2018.
But the changes won’t scare Ssebute, a UPDF corporal. “That won’t change my focus. I have all along been training for Juma, a southpaw, now I have to adjust for Kimweri, an orthodox,” Ssebute, himself a southpaw, said. “But orthodox boxers are easier for me and the good thing Kimweri is one. So on September 27 expect the best show.”
However, according to BoxRec, the official professional boxing database, Juma is also an orthodox, while Kimweri’s stance is unnamed.
Ssebute is unbeaten in all his six professional fights while Kimweri has only won nine, lost 13 and drawn two of his 24 pro fights. He has lost the last nine consecutively. His last win came over three years ago, when he beat debutant Paulo Machelewa
by unanimous decision April 7, 2016 in Dar-Es-Salaam.
Beyond Tanzania, he has fought once in Zambia and Uganda. His trip to Kampala September 2018 ended in a fifth-round technical knockout defeat to Ugandan Frank ‘Black Fire’ Kiwalabye at Aponye Mall September 2. Kimweri lost his last fight by TKO to Fadhili Majiha in Dar-Es-Salaam in June.
