Matumla

And it didn't take long for Matumla to learn the ropes of boxing and earn the nickname, "Snake Boy."

CNN Transcript Mar 1, 2003 2003

Matumla was like most other kids growing up in Dar-es-Salaam.

CNN Transcript Mar 1, 2003 2003

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Thirty-two year old Matumla has only had four fights since then, and his career is slowly winding down.

CNN Transcript Mar 1, 2003 2003

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): And it's that kind of hunger that keeps Tanzania's IBU middleweight champion, Rashid "Snake Boy" Matumla, fighting for success.

CNN Transcript Mar 1, 2003 2003

Matumla rose to prominence when he knocked out Cameroonian Patrice Mbenhbenli in the fifth round to win the All-Africa super-welterweight title in 1997.

CNN Transcript Mar 1, 2003 2003

Matumla faced Mabuza some six months after beating Filipino Eric Barcelona to win the vacant IBO super flyweight title in South Africa after he left Tanzania to settle down in Johannesburg.

BoxingScene.com 2009

He said Matumla who was at one time ranked No. 5 by the WBA behind a 13-0, 8 KO's record "faded from the limelight for two years made a spectacular comeback with a sweet victory" in a title fight recognized by the WBA.

BoxingScene.com 2009

Matumla who has four brothers and a sister who are all pro boxers, like their father Namwela Ali Matumla who was also a boxer.

BoxingScene.com 2009

Both Matumla and Banal are southpaws although Banal is much younger being only 20 years of age he has a record of 18-1-1 with 15 knockouts while Matumla has a record of 18-3 with 10 knockouts.

BoxingScene.com 2009

When he beat South Africa's Simon Ramon on points to win the vacant WBA Pan-African super flyweight title boxing writer Burton Brown of "The Express" said Matumla "brought back to Tanzania the lost glory of professional boxing."

BoxingScene.com 2009