Cathrine nets K120000 from Tshabalala fight

Boxing wondergirl Catherine Phiri may be disappointed with the quality of her opponent but will have little complaints about her bank account as she took home K120,000 in purse money following a successful defence of her World Boxing Council (WBC) Gold Bantamweight title against Gabisile Tshabalala.

The 24-year-old probably made the easiest K120,000 of her life after she dispatched her South African opponent without breaking a sweat.

Phiri stopped Tshabalala after just 90 seconds, which did not sit well with the fans who had gathered at Lusaka’s New Government Complex expecting to see an action-packed contest.

Tshabalala simply failed to live up to her pre-match tough talk as Phiri reminded her that boxing is fought in the ring and not the press.

And speaking to journalists after the fight, Phiri made it clear she was not impressed with what she got from the South African pugilist.

“I would have been better off studying for my exams,” she declared. “I trained hard for this fight. I was in camp for three months and expected a better opponent, not what I got in today’s fight.”

She sympathised with the scores of disappointed fans who had broken into a chorus of boos after a dazed and disoriented Tshabalala surrendered leaving the referee with no choice but to stop the fight.

Phiri entered Saturday’s fight with a record of 12 wins and one defeat. She weighed in at 53.4 kilograms.