By: Sean Crose
“This is a huge opportunity for me,” said undefeated contender Walter Kautondokwa, “and one I will take with both hands.” The undefeated middleweight wasn’t particularly well known until recently. Having a titlist test positive for a banned substance, however, can bring about strange occurrences. And that’s just what happened when Billy Joe Saunders, the WBO middleweight champ, tested positive leading up to his scheduled October 20th title defense against Demetrius Andrade at the famed TD Center in Boston. Stripped of his belt and the chance to fight in Massachusetts, Saunders subsequently had no choice but to step away and allow someone else to fill his shoes. And in stepped Kautondokwa, the 17-0 contender who has won all but one fight by knockout. “I’ve been in the gym,” Kautondokwa claimed in the leadup to the opportunity of a lifetime “and I am 100 per cent ready to get to Boston and add Demetrius to my KO record.”
Kautondokwa may not be a household name, at least not yet. The Nambian fighter nonetheless exudes nothing but confidence as he readies himself to face Andrade for the now vacant WBO middleweight strap. “I’ve earned my spot as the number two challenger in the division and I fear no man,” he said in a press release. “Demetrius is a great fighter, but I know that I can KO any 160lber in the world, and that includes Andrade.” Most may think Andrade should win the fight, and they have good reason to. Not only is Andrade a Rhode Island fighter battling in nearby Boston, he’s also an extremely skilled foe – not a man whose easy to beat. Andrade has this title shot for a reason. Still, Kautondokwa has his own take on things. “He’s been preparing for Billy Joe, who is a technical guy that doesn’t have power,” Kautondokwa claimed of Andrade. “I am going to be a nightmare for him next Saturday night and I am ready to become a major player in the Middleweight division.”
Should Kautandokwa win, it might make for the upset of the year. Surely the man would become the toast of boxing. Andrade is held in high enough regard that a loss to a largely unknown contender would be an upset on the scale of Lloyd Honeyghan’s stunning victory over Donald Curry decades ago. “I can shock the world,” the fighter known as “The Executioner” said. Should he win on Saturday, Kautandokwa will most certainly do that.