Sinovuyo Mthintelwa emerged as the big hope to bring back the SA flyweight title after his impressive victory in Mthatha at the weekend.
The Mthatha boxer, affectionately known as “Pink One”, easily destroyed Luxolo Gungutho in two rounds to win the Eastern Cape flyweight title at the OR Tambo Hall.
Mthintelwa was fighting for the first time in his backyard, having fought his previous four bouts in East London and Johannesburg.
He was also fighting for the first time since he was shown the door by Xaba Promotions due to the controversy involving his trainer, Thembani Gopheni’s remarks on social media about former Xaba boxer Landile Ngxeke.
But he put everything behind him and produced one of his best performances since ditching the amateur vest as he bludgeoned Gungutho with big shots before knocking him out.
Gungutho came with some sort of reputation, as he held former SA flyweight challenger Luyanda Ntwanambi to a draw at Hemingways Mall in December.
However, his battle with the scales at the weigh-in, when he made numerous attempts to shed excess weight and was forced to strip naked, did not help matters, even though he rehydrated after finally falling within the limit.
The win positions Mthintelwa as the big hope in the province to bring back the SA flyweight belt from KwaZulu-Natal’s Nkosingiphile Sibisi.
His manager, Khwezi Booi, said the victory would put ‘Pink One’ on course to winning more titles, including the SA belt.
“It gave us great joy for him to win the title in front of his family and friends, though we must admit that we did not expect the fight to end so early,” he said.
“We thought Gungutho would put up a fight after seeing him giving Ntwanambi all he could handle in December, but I guess ‘Pink One’ is on another level.
“He is evolving into a big star befitting his talent, and we will take one step at a time as we meticulously plot his career.
“One thing I can say is that we have put all flyweight boxers on high alert.”
The win was the fifth for Mthintelwa, with four stoppages without a loss in a division known for producing boxers who later went on to compete at the world stage.
Boxing legend Welcome Ncita used the flyweight division to launch and polish his craft by winning the SA title before going on to win the IBF world junior featherweight, becoming the first in the province to achieve the feat.
Other local boxers who used the division include Jaji Sibali and Zolile Mbityi, who both won the SA belt before challenging for world titles.
While it is early days for Mthintelwa to be mentioned alongside such revered boxers, it is not unfathomable to predict a bright future for him.
However, since Ntwanambi failed to unseat Jackson Chauke for the title and Phumelela Cafu only managed a draw, the title has been owned outside the province, with Mdantsane’s Thembelani Nxoshe the last champion from the province.
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