Tanzanian showboating pro-pugilist Karim 'Mtu Kazi' Mandonga has landed in the country with a pledge to annihilate his nemesis Daniel Wanyonyi on Saturday.
Speaking upon his arrival on Thursday, Mandonga sent a chilling message to Wanyonyi, vowing to turn the Kenyan's face into a cherry pie.
The two adversaries are angling for a vicious re-match at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi after trading blows for the first time in January in a sold-out middleweight non-title clash at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.
Wanyonyi, 39, unexpectedly crashed to Mandonga through TKO in the fifth round of their viciously contested bout.
“I have prepared adequately for the fight on Saturday and Wanyonyi must prepare himself psychologically for a thorough beating, whether he likes it or not,” Mandonga bluffed.
“I'm here to hold the forte for my country. I believe I will beat Wanyonyi, whether it is in the first, second round, or simply by knockout. The bottom line is I will thrash him senseless.”
Known to hype himself up by talking himself hoarse ahead of battles, the Tanzanian has pledged to walk the talk on the canvas.
“Many people say that I talk too much. But the truth is that it is not always about issuing empty threats. I've always delivered in the ring."
After devouring Wanyonyi with his famous Ukraine-imported “Sugunyo” jabs earlier in the year, Mandonga has now promised to deploy a new set of crafted missiles christened “Kinguki” from Russia in their next slug-off.
“In our first match, I sent him sprawling on the surface with a devastating 'Sungunyo' fist from Ukraine. Now I'm back with an even more potent fist called Kinguki from Russia that always goes forward and never turns back," Mandonga said.
"Anytime the Russians deploy a missile, it hits its target and I intend to do the same,” Mandonga said.
Their mouthwatering bout will be the showstopper after several undercards. In his response, Wanyonyi vowed to leverage the return bout to redeem his thumped image, promising a rivetting display of skills in the ten-round bout.
"If he thinks he will have a walk in the park like he did in our last fight, then he's in for a shock of his lifetime. This time around, he will not survive past the first round," Wanyonyi said.
"Last time, he found me rusty because the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country denied me an opportunity to train for our fight. Things are quite different now and I have rediscovered my actual form. He will be facing a ferocious beast," Wanyonyi added.
The former African Boxing Union (ABU) light-heavily champion heads into the fight high on confidence following his latest fight where he floored Charles Kakande of Uganda on TKO at the Kasarani Indoor Arena on March 25.
Wanyonyi said he has been sharpening his talons at the Pal Pal Gym under the tutelage of seasoned gaffer Julius Odhiambo.