ABU strips Kiwanuka

By Phillip G. Corry Africa Boxing Union has stripped Francis "Machoman" Kiwanuka, of his ABU super featherweight belt after he failed to defend it. "We have stripped the African champion because he has failed to get opponents to challenge him," Celestino Mindra the ABU ratings committee chairman told The New Vision yesterday. "He won this belt last year in January and up to now he has failed to defend it, the only option left was to strip him after we gave him a deadline of March," said Mindra. But the flamboyant fighter will still be relieved because the African professional boxing body has reinstated the Ugandan fighter as the top contender in the ABU super featherweight latest rankings. Kiwanuka beat Musa Kaggwa in the Millennium Explosion fight at Nakivubo on January 1 to claim the vacant belt. "We have started receiving inquiries for the vacant belt," Mindra said "And Macho still stands to fight for the belt because he is top contender". Meanwhile, the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control has requested through American promoter Ken Biddle of Level 2 promotions to organise fight between former champion Macho Kiwanuka and Nigerian Aziz Onikoye to be held in July 7 or July 14 in Ibadan, Nigeria for the vacant belt. In another development Mindra, leaves today to morale boost the NABF super featherweight champion Justin Juuko on Sunday when he fights against IBF junior lightweight champion Stevie Forbes in California, USA. Ends