Sivenathi Nontshinga may have got tongues wagging in international boxing but his handlers are not rushing him to a world title challenge quite yet.
The 21-year-old is still basking in the glory of his fifth round knockout of tough and highly-rated Filipino Ivan Soriano to retain his IBF international junior-flyweight title in March, in East London.
The fight was the toughest for the chicken farm-based boxer, as he finished with a swollen eye, even though the bout lasted just five rounds.
Nontshinga displayed a remarkable boxing technique during the fight, before finishing off with a picture perfect overarm right, dropping Soriano twice before getting him out of there in the fifth.
The boxer’s trainer, Thembani Gopheni, who is also his father, commended his son for following the game plan.
“I watched the video footage of Soriano and discovered that he likes to come out swinging in the first few rounds,” Gopheni said.
“He does not set up his punches with a jab but just swings for the fence.”
What also made Nontshinga’s win particularly impressive was that he took on the fight at short notice, after a deal to challenge for the SA title against Ntlantla Tyirha could not be struck.
For a while, the fight was debated on social media with even the fighters chipping in to stoke the fires.
Gopheni said his charge had not given up on the prospect of fighting Tyirha.
“Sive is rated top for the title and if the opportunity arises, we will take the fight, not because we want the SA title but we want to build Sive,” he said.
This, even though Nontshinga is closer to a world title shot as he beat a fifth-rated boxer in Soriano, meaning he is expected to vault to the IBF title mix.
The top and second spots are vacant, with third-rated Dee Jay Kriel already scheduled to challenge for the title held by Felix Alvarado.
The fight has been shelved due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Fourth rated is 35-year-old Japanese veteran Tetsuya Hisada.
“We are so close to challenging for a world title but when we do, we want to go there and win it, which is why we want to build Sive properly,” reasoned Gopheni.
So far, Nontshinga has knocked out all his nine opponents, a feat not lost to the international scene.
After his win over Soriano, Nontshinga’s name was already trending worldwide, with reports describing him as a young boxer to watch.
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