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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN heavyweight boxer Elvis Moyo will be out to leave a lasting mark on the international scene when he trades leather with Arnold Gjergjaj in a non-title fight tonight in Switzerland.

Moyo, a World Boxing Federation (WBF) All-Africa heavyweight champion, arrived at Sporthalle, about 105km from Zurich from his South African base on Thursday afternoon after a 23-hour journey.

Excited about his maiden European fight, Moyo is aiming at knocking out his opponent, who is ranked 58th on world rankings with 22 points, in four rounds.

Moyo, better known as the Bulawayo Bomber is 70th on the world rankings with 19 points.

“This is an opportunity for me to prove my worth and demolish this guy. What I know about this guy is that he’s taller than me, fights running and can easily be knocked down if I get my punches right. Winning this fight will open more avenues for me, remember before this fight I turned down three fights, two in Germany and the other one in Russia. So I know that promoters will be watching and I just have to impress,” said Moyo.

Getting more European fights is likely to give Moyo the financial breakthrough he needs.

After this bill, the Zimbabwean pugilist will go for a hand surgery, to fix an injury that he has been carrying for over a year.

The Bulawayo Bomber has been doing intense training, doing sparring sessions with veteran pugilist Flo Simba, Kevin Lerena, Keaton Gomez and Isaac Chilemba.

The former Tshaka Youth Centre boxer, who is nursing a hand injury that needs R30 000 for an operation, has been doing “therapy” to get the hand in shape for the fight.

He sustained the injury when he successfully defended his World Boxing Federation All-Africa heavyweight title against Kilola Lubika Didier of Congo last year in January.

He went on to beat Ukrainian boxer Pedyura Maksym in April still carrying the injury as well as Ruan Visser four months ago.

Meanwhile, Cape Town-based Zimbabwean pugilist Felix Nkululeko Venganayi who accompanied the Bulawayo Bomber to Switzerland as his trainer and also facilitated the fight will be at Moyo’s corner tonight.

—@ZililoR