Felix Bwalya

Felix Bwalya (21 December 1967 – 23 December 1997) was a Zambian boxer who won a gold medal at the 1991 All-Africa Games and competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

As a professional, he became African champion and went 12–1 (9 KO) on his way to winning the Commonwealth belt.

Bwalya was born on 21 December 1967 in Chingola and although other sources gave his date of birth as 22 December 1969, newspaper reports at the time of his burial stated that he died two days after his 30th birthday.

The first born in a family of seven, he attended Maiteneke Primary school in Chingola but only went up to the 7th grade.

He started boxing at the age of 12 at Chiwempala Community Hall but his parents were against any serious involvement in boxing so he would sneak out to go to the community hall against his father’s wishes and as punishment, was often made to go to bed hungry.

After showing early promise as a teenager, Bwalya joined Green Buffaloes Stables in 1987 and trained under Vincent Mudenda who helped improve his ringcraft.

He soon came to the attention of national selectors and was chosen to be part of Zambia’s boxing contingent bound for the 1988 Seoul Olympics but it ended in disappointment when he was left out at the last minute.

“I was left behind at the airport because officials insisted that I was too young,” he recounted.

He eventually convinced his parents that he could make a career out of boxing after winning a gold medal at the 1989 East and Central Africa Boxing Championships.

He overcame the setback when he won a gold medal for Zambia at the 1989 East and Central Africa Boxing Championships.

Two years later, he won another gold medal at the 1991 All-Africa Games in Cairo when he beat Tanzania’s Rashid Haji Ally Matumla on points in the final of the 60 kg weight category.

He travelled to the next Olympics in Barcelona in 1992 but was defeated by Matumla on points in the first round.

Bwalya’s brief participation at the Barcelona Olympics was a turning point in his career as he turned professional the following year under Scorpio Promotions and his first fight was on 17 July 1993 against Forger Siame whom he beat on a TKO.

In 1994, he won fights against Zimbabwe’s King Zaka, Bruno Sakabunda and South African Bramley Whiteboy.

He again faced Zaka on 10 December 1994 and this time, the Zimbabwean, who had retired injured in the second round of their first fight was knocked out in the first round.

Nicknamed "The Hammer", he captured the African Boxing Union light welterweight and Commonwealth super lightweight titles in 1995 and 1997 respectively, the latter after a controversial victory over Briton Paul Burke in Lusaka.

Bwalya subsequently died from head injuries sustained in the fight.

Bwalya then knocked out Kenya’s Dalmas Otieno on 11 March 1995 for the right to contest for the vacant African Boxing Union Super Lightweight title against Ethiopian Gashaw Gudeta in Lusaka on 25 June 1995.

Bwalya emerged champion after a TKO in the third round and he staged a successful defence of his title when he beat Ghana’s Akwei Addo in a Commonwealth elimination bout via a TKO in round 4 on 26 August 1995 and earned the right to contest for the vacant Commonwealth (British Empire) Super Lightweight title against Briton Paul Ryan.

At the end of the year, Bwalya was crowned Zambian Sportsman of the Year.

With the title fight due to take place on 30 June 1996, Bwalya warmed up for it with a points decision over Sakabunda in Kabwe on 6 April 1996 to register an 11th straight victory but the bout against Ryan was a non-starter as it was postponed indefinitely due to the Commonwealth Boxing Council ruling that the fight could not go on as the British Boxing Board of Control had revoked the British boxer’s licence on medical grounds.

Bwalya got his shot at the Commonwealth title the following year on 22 April 1997, which was by then held by Bernard Paul and he lost by half a point, a decision which was hotly disputed by the Zambian’s camp.

Bwalya was offered a rematch later that year but in the meantime, Paul had been dethroned by Paul Burke who travelled to Lusaka for the title fight as champion.

The 12 round bout against Burke which was promoted by the Zambia Professional Boxing Board of Control (ZPBBC), took place on Sunday, 14 December 1997 at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.

Bwalya dominated the opening rounds and with Burke persistently holding the Zambian, fans registered their displeasure leading to a caution from referee Hugo Mulenga.

In the sixth round, Burke suffered what looked like a serious cut above the right eye but referee Hugo Mulenga allowed him to continue.

From the seventh round, Bwalya appeared to slacken and allowed Burke to close the points gap.

Mulenga said Bwalya had been leading 107-103 towards the end of the 11th round but Burke jolted him with a punch which dropped Bwalya and saw Burke ascend to 105.

Bwalya was almost failing to stand when the final bell went and Mulenga said there was no way he could continue counting after the bell had gone.

Zambia Professional Boxing Board of Control (ZPBBC) Chairman Hilary Matyola defended Mulenga’s handling of the fight saying he was among the few competent and experienced boxing referees in the country and all the decisions that he took were above board.

Bwalya was knocked down three times in the final three rounds and as the 12th round approached, fans started leaving the hall in the belief that he had lost the fight.

He was on the canvas after the third knockdown when the final bell sounded, and was helped to his feet by the referee who later said he had been saved by the bell.

A number of the fans returned upon hearing the verdict that Bwalya had won, to cheer him as he was handed the belt.

The score card by the referee, who was the sole judge, revealed that Bwalya had won through a 107-105 points decision, over the vociferous complaints by Burke's camp, who claimed the final round was at least two minutes short.

Several fans who watched the fight maintained that Burke should have been declared the winner and His trainer Billy Graham said that Burke, from Preston, Lancashire, would lodge a protest with the Commonwealth Boxing Council in order to claim victory by technical knockout.

Burke himself called it a planned dramatic robbery and added that he broke into a hearty laugh when he heard the verdict and said it would not do the development of boxing in the country any good if referees resorted to aiding boxers in robbing fights in such a manner.

Following an outcry in the media and among the boxing fraternity, Mulenga defended his handling of the fight and said his referring was in conformity with international standards.

Reacting to accusations that he had deliberately failed to stop the fight when Burke began bleeding profusely and that he gave Bwalya several chances to stand when he was knocked down, said he could not stop the fight because it was up to the doctor and Burke’s camp to decide, adding that Burke’s determination to continue was a clear indication that he was fit to go on with the fight.

“I exercised extreme impartiality throughout the fight and there was only one punch which sent Bwalya to the canvas.

As for the other falls, it was as a result of holding and pushing by Burke, who I reprimanded on several occasions,” he said and added that Bwalya slipped and fell on three occasions partly due to the wet canvas in the boxers’ corners due to the accumulation of water sprinkled on the boxers during the intervals.