• BATTLE LINES DRAWN….ESTHER Phiri (left) and Kenya’s Evelyn Odoro size each other up after a weigh-in ceremony in Lusaka yesterday as match-maker, Anthony Mwamba (centre) looks on. Picture by GRACE CHAILE

By GRACE CHAILE –
ZAMBIA’S female boxing sensation, Esther Phiri returns to the ring this evening after a two-year lull when she faces little-known Kenyan, Evelyn Odoro in a non-title international welterweight bout at Chez Ntemba VIP Lounge in Kabulonga, Lusaka.
Esther hopes to make a winning return to the boxing ring where she reigned supreme and won several international women boxing belts, making her the pioneer of female boxing in Zambia.
The 27-year-old, who had retired from boxing two years ago, will now have to prove the critics wrong with the fight scheduled to start at 20:00 hours.
Esther, who was Women International Boxing Organisation and Women International Boxing Association Iight-welterweight champion, hunged up her gloves unceremoniously shortly after a knockout victory over Monalisa Sibanda of Zimbabwe at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in February 2012.
Esther has a record of 13 wins, one draw and lost once while Odoro has won six times, losing five and drawing one.
The Zambian boxer, who weighed 65.4kg during the weighing-in ceremony yesterday, warned Odoro to be wary of her new ‘Bonikanino’ punch which could knock her out.
She said she was ready to square it in the ring and would prove she was still a champion.
“I am ready for the fight as I have been training very hard. I don’t think it will be a tough match as Odoro puts it . If it will be tough, then it’s a blow-to-blow game. I am warning her to be careful or face a knock out. I know the Kenyans and they know me,” she said.
Odoro, who tipped the scale at 63.3kg with the ‘Tutambanya’ punch, predicted a tough bout but was confident of shocking Esther at home.
“”I will give the Zambians a good and tough fight. She (Esther) is a good boxer but I’m here to win and nothing else. I will speak more in the ring, that’s my home,” she said.
Odoro’s manager Daniel Wanyonyi said the boxer was in right shape for the bout.
Despite the boxers itching to enter the ring, fight organiser Jonathan Chilonda said Exodus Boxing Promotions Stables were still scouting for K100, 000 to meet the K450, 000 budget.
On the undercard will be Sherif Kasongo exchanging punches with Jacob Mubanga in a middleweight non-title fight while middleweight Babaguy Chimanga will fight Maestro Mubanga.
Other bouts will see light-welterweight Joel Mwewa facing Abia Silupumbwe with Bernard Mwango fighting Tom Chisanga in a bantamweight while Anos Temfumba squares it out with Masozi Kamanga in a cruiserweight rematch.