At first he was dubbed the Lion Boy then he evolved into the Lion Man. Now, is Omari Kimweri about to become the Lion King?
Kimweri, who lives in Deer Park, will get his career-defining shot at a world title on Saturday night.
The 31-year-old, trained by Dave Hegarty and Andrew Woodall at the Tarneit Boxing Gym, wants to be the king of the jungle in the WBC’s minimum-weight division.
Kimweri, weighing in around 47 kilograms, will step into the ring against hometown hero Xiong Zhai Zhong in Maguan, China, in a bid to bring the title belt back to our shores. “This is it; there’s no bigger prize,” Hegarty told the Weekly. “This is the pinnacle of our sport.
“The WBC rang the other day and said they’d sold 30,000 tickets. I’m not sure if that’s true , but I don’t care. They could’ve sold 150,000. We have a job to do and we won’t let that over-awe us. We’ll see that Omar wins the world title. We’ll stay focused on that and if he does, we’ll get out of the place real quick.”
Kimweri made headlines in 2006 when he fled the Commonwealth Games village in Melbourne to seek asylum after arriving to represent Tanzania in boxing.
He was granted Australian citizenship in 2010, something he cherishes every day.
“He’s a real good, down-to-earth kid and he loves this country,” Hegarty says.
“When he fought for the Australian title, he came out with an Aussie bandana and an Aussie flag draped on him.
“It meant the world to him to be an Australian professional champion; he certainly appreciates what he’s got here.”
To the folk at his home club, Kimweri is more than just a talented boxer.
His enthusiasm for life is infectious. His dedication to get better rubs off on others and his willingness to devote time to the younger members is appreciated.
“He works with all the kids and they love him,” Hegarty says.
Only a world title could make Kimweri’s star shine any brighter. The Australian and oriental champion is primed for an assault on the biggest title in his division.
Hegarty says he has the skills and the insatiable appetite to do it.
“I’m really confident this kid is going to win this title. He’ll fight to the death, he’ll let nothing get in his way for this and we’re going to bring it back.
“This kid wants it more than anything. He’s better skilled, he’s harder and he’s a very powerful boy. Omar will come back a world champion.”
