Landile Ngxeke’s former trainer, Manyamezeli Shosha, has backed him, with caution, to prevail when he fights for the vacant IBF bantamweight title in Mexico next Saturday.
Sada-born Ngxeke, who was guided by Shosha in Mdantsane during his rise in the world ratings, culminating in the title fight, will face Mexican Jose Salas Reyes in Mexico City in the biggest fight of his life.
The bout will mark the first time he fights overseas and under new handlers after dumping Shosha and Xaba Promotions to join Colin Nathan in Johannesburg.
He had previously fought seven bouts under Shosha’s tutelage, winning all since he suffered his lone loss when he was knocked out by Filipino Jayr Raquinel in 2022.
Shosha was able to whip him back to winning ways as he climbed up the ratings to a title shot.
“Landile is focused, and he is in the zone and ready for the fight.”
— Nathan
The bond they formed together gives Shosha intimate knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses, which could either realise or derail his world title aspirations.
Shosha said he knew Ngxeke had strong mental fortitude to succeed in any environment, including facing the raucous Mexican crowd.
“I know Ngxeke because I worked with him for a number of fights and we built a winning team together,” he said.
However, Shosha insisted that Ngxeke’s victory over Reyes would depend on the strategy designed by his current handlers.
“I do not know what they are working on because I am not part of their camp, so I think it will depend on what they come up with in order to succeed,” he said.
Nathan said Ngxeke was looking good in camp, displaying a high work ethic in his quest to return the IBF belt to SA.
“Landile is focused, and he is in the zone and ready for the fight,” he said.
Nathan said he had been impressed by the 30-year-old’s willingness to learn while pushing himself to the limit.
Refusing to divulge the weaknesses he had detected about Reyes, he confirmed they had watched the unbeaten Mexican and had devised a plan to counter his southpaw style.
Ngxeke was last in action in June in East London when he beat another Mexican, Eric Gomboa, in a fight promoted by XP, with Shosha manning his corner.
The victory was his 16th with a loss and a draw. He has the same number of fights as Reyes, who was in action a month earlier when he scored a points win over Arturo Hernandez.
The 23-year-old agreed to step aside to let then-IBF champion Ryosuke Nishida unify with WBC king Junto Nakatani in an all-Japanese clash in June.
After adding the IBF crown to his WBC collection, Nakatani vacated all the belts to move up to junior featherweight in pursuit of a lucrative clash against compatriot Naoya Inoue.
Ngxeke will be vying to return the IBF bantamweight belt to SA for the first time since Duncan Village’s Mbulelo Botile surrendered it to American Tim Austin in 1997.
Two SA boxers have failed in that quest, with Silence Mabuza and Vusi Malinga losing in 2012.
Malinga also lost in 2013, while Mabuza came up short in two challenges against another Mexican, Rafael Marquez, in 2005.
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