Confirmed! Take Money’s Next Opponent Is Yamileth ...

Confirmed! Take Money’s Next Opponent Is Yamileth Mercado

Yamileth Mercado ("Yeimi") | Boxer Page | Tapology — Mexican Yamileth Mercado fights “Take Money” next

Gilbert Munetsi

It is now confirmed that Kudakwashe “Take Money” Chiwandire has a date with Mexican opponent Yamileth “La Yeimi” Mercado for the World Boxing Council super-bantamweight world title following the latter’s Sunday's (October 29) triumph over fellow country boxer Mariana Juarez.

Chiwandire - after winning against Zulina Munoz last month in defence of her WBC interim championship - had been waiting for the winner between Juarez and Mercado with whom she will mandatorily fight for the ultimate title on a yet-to-be-advised-date in 2023.

Initially, Chiwandire and Munoz were supposed to fight on the same day as Mercado and Juarez, but the all-Mexicans battle (fought in Chihuahua) was postponed to last weekend.

Mercado then went on to beat her challenger by a unanimous points decision, scoring 98-92; 97-93 and 97-93 on the judges’ cards.

It will be the first time that “Take Money” fights out of Africa, as she has to travel all the way to Mexico for the biggest contest of her life. She fights an opponent who brags of a W23-L3-D0 record.

“Yeimi” (as Mercado is affectionately known in the boxing circles) is ranked Number 2 in the world and dominates all 19 super-bantamweights in her country.

The Mexican debuted in July 2014, and has won and retained the world title four times. “Yeimi”, an orthodox, once travelled to Kenya in 2018 for her first shot at the world title against Fatuma Zarika, but was defeated.

She was, however, able to turn the tables with a triumph against the same boxer a year later and has to date managed to hold onto the most valuable belt in the division in the world.

Chiwandire, till basking in last month’s glory, has taken time to rest and is expected to resume training camp soon. Should she go on to win the world title, she becomes the first Zimbabwean boxer – male or female – to have achieved such a feat.

Though Charles Manyuchi was a WBC title recipient, he went as far as the silver which is a notch down what Chiwandire is eyeing.