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Boxing champion Sarah Achieng' lines up WBC world title fight
Commonwealth Boxing Council super lightweight champion Sarah Achieng on July 22, 2023 at Box Girls Kenya Community Sports Centre Kariobangi, Nairobi.
Kenya’s Commonwealth Boxing Council (CBC) super lightweight champion, Sarah Achieng’, is likely to compete for the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight title in May of next year.
She could take on the Universal Boxing Organisation’s world super lightweight champion, Samantha Worthington of the US, for the WBC belt.
Achieng’s manager, Frank Pittal, said the boxer and Worthington are the favourites for the vacant belt.
Worthington, 29, has won all 12 of her fights, including seven knockouts. Achieng’ improved her record to 18 wins and two losses. If she gets the chance and wins, she will be the second Kenyan to claim the prestigious WBC world title, after Fatuma Zarika.
Achieng’ retained her WBF title and claimed a unanimous decision against Tanzania’s Feriche Mashauri in a thrilling 10-round showdown. This was Achieng’s first defence of the WBF title that she won on June 10, 2023, in Nairobi, when she beat Argentine Edith Soledad for the vacant belt.
“It has always been my dream to win the WBC title, but a back injury halted that progress. But I am back,” said Achieng, who returned from injury in August with a first-round stoppage of Martha Akinyi of Uganda in a non-title bout in Nairobi.
Light title
“The WBC world super light title has been declared vacant, and we are planning for the challenge. Worthington is being touted as Achieng’s rival,” said Pittal.
Zarika made history as the first African woman to win a WBC Super Bantamweight title, defeating Jamaican Alicia Ashley by split decision on October 1, 2016.
Sarah Achieng' of Kenya (right) in action against Malawi's Anisha Basheel during their Commonwealth Super Light Weight 10-round bout on October 20, 2021 at Charter Hall, Nairobi.
She defended the title by beating Catherine Phiri twice by unanimous decision on December 2, 2017, and March 23, 2019, as well as by split decision against Yamileth Mercado of Mexico on September 8, 2018, all in Nairobi. However, Mercado claimed sweet revenge on November 16, 2019, winning unanimously against Zarika back home.
Mercado defended the title seven times before losing it to Briton Ellie Scotney by unanimous decision on July 11 of this year at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The bout was a unification of three belts: the WBC, the International Boxing Federation (IBF), and the World Boxing Organization (WBO).
On Sunday, the judges scored a unanimous 100-90 in favour of Achieng, who cemented her dominance during the Solid Rock Promotion.
Karim “Mtu Kazi” Mandonga of Tanzania was also taught some boxing lessons by Collins Nyakwaka of Kenya. Nyakwaka claimed a unanimous decision in the six-round, non-title cruiserweight bout.
