Bongani Magasela

Bongani Magasela

Faint-hearted boxing fans must stay away from Graceland Casino in Mpumalanga where two fierce punchers, Zack Mwekassa and Brazilian Luzimar Gonzaga, will collide on February 1.

Mwekassa and Gonzaga are both knockout artists.

Six of Mwekassa's seven wins have been by knockout, while 13 of Gonzaga's 16 wins have come this way.

Fireworks are expected between these two gladiators in the cruiserweight 10 rounder.

Mwekassa comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo but the skills of the diminutive "Black Warrior" are honed in South Africa by Warren Hulley.

Mwekassa holds the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Inter-continental belt, which will not be at stake against Gonzaga, who is nicknamed "Tigre da Itacare (Tiger from Itacare)".

Promoter Thinus Strydom, whose World Sports Promotion company will be in charge of the bout, has aptly dubbed this fight "The Night of Power".

"If you blink you might just miss the knockout," warned Strydom who guided Dingaan "The Rose of Soweto" Thobela to stardom.

Meanwhile, Anthony Tshehla and Kaizer Mabuza have been pitted against each other in a lightweight bout over six rounds.

Neither fighter can afford to lose this one because such a result could signal the end of their flagging careers.

There will be five more undercard fights.

Action is scheduled to kick off at 7.30pm but only the Mwekassa-Gongaza fight will enjoy live coverage from Blow by Blow on SABC TV at 10pm.