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Sports Reporter
TSHAKA Youth Centre boxing trio of Dumezweni Ntuliki, Lovewell Maphosa and Nowell Mpofu has stepped up their preparations for the Black Fist Independence Bill set for Harare on April 18.Ntuliki and Maphosa will fight against unnamed Batswana opponents in non-title supporting bouts in the lightweight and super bantamweight divisions at the City Sports Centre.

Mpofu will trade leather in the main bout against Harare’s Wesley Macdade. They will fight in an eight-round light heavyweight bill.

The Bulawayo trio’s trainer Phillip “Striker” Ndlovu declared his match-starved pugilists ready for the Independence bill.  Mpofu last fought in 2013, losing to Trevor Mpofu.

Trevor is the 22-year-old boxer who has challenged Zimbabwean heavyweight champion Thamsanqa “Baby Elephant” Dube.

“My boxers are ready to fight. They’ve been out of action for a while and want to return in style. Nowell has been in the gym for the last two months preparing for the undercard to Trevor and Dube’s bill. Ntuliki and Maphosa have only been training for three weeks but they look sharp,” said Ndlovu.

The trio from Makokoba’s boxing stable has already signed their  contracts with renowned promoter Borris Znider for the Independence bill.

Nowell said: “I’m a bit rusty and I’m really craving for a fight. To ensure that I keep getting fights, it’s a must that I win against Macdade.”

Maphosa whose last fight was in 2008 is also optimistic on his return to the ring.

“Six years without a fight is a long time but I’ve been training to keep fit. I’ve been praying for this opportunity to come and now that I’ve been presented with it, I’ve to beat my Botswana opponent. I know nothing about my opponent but what I’m certain of is that I’ll smack him,” Ntuliki said.