Former South African Junior Lightweight Champion Raider "The Earthquake" Muleba has vowed to revive her boxing career when she faces Bernice Ferreira at Event City Hall in Middelburg on 27 September.
Muleba made national headlines in November 2022 when she became the first female boxer from Limpopo to win a national boxing title, defeating former lightweight champion Kholosa Ndobayeni at the Nkowankowa Sports Grounds in Tzaneen.
She lost her title to Bonita van Jaarsveld on points at the Vodacom Dome in Midrand on 1 September 2023.
Speaking to Limpopo Mirror on Tuesday, Muleba said she missed being champion and was working hard to earn another shot at the title. "When you are a champion, you can open many doors in life. It's a pity I only held the championship for a year and had just one opportunity to defend it—11 months later—which I lost," she said.
On her upcoming fight against Ferreira, she added: "I run 12km every day and do gym work in the afternoons. I've never been in this kind of top physical condition in my career. It's cold out here once you've tasted the warmth of being a champion."
Two other female boxers from her stable will also compete at the same event. Milicent Nemutandani will face Nolwazi Mabaso in the featherweight division, while Seani Morite takes on Misiwe Ndlovu in the junior featherweight division.
Their trainer, John "Smoking Joe" Nemakonde, said he was confident all three fighters would return with positive results. "They're all working very hard and sparring with their male stablemates to build confidence and stamina. I'm calling on their opponents to bring it on—we're ready for them," he said.