April is set to become one of the best boxing months in KuGompo City when two big tournaments are held in the space of three weeks, with the first punching off at Guild Theatre on Saturday.
Marking the start of the new financial year, the sport will ignite with gusto when KayB Promotions stage a star-studded show featuring four provincial champions with two of them defending their titles.
Attention will shift to Orient Theatre on April 24 when the highly anticipated Duncan Village-Mdantsane derby between Azinga Fuzile and Asanda Gingqi takes place in a Xaba Promotions show
“We are pleased that the region will experience this boxing bloom this month and turn the attention to the region.
— BSA privincial maanger Phakamile Jacobs
The event is stacked with top bouts, including Moyisi Booi contesting for the vacant IBF intercontinental junior bantamweight crown against Argentinian David Nunez.
Acting provincial Boxing SA manager Phakamile Jacobs said the busy boxing month bodes well for activity in the region.
“We are pleased that the region will experience this boxing boom this month and turn the attention to the region,” he said.
Saturday’s show, dubbed “New Era In Boxing”, will be headlined by knockout artist Lonwabo Sizani making his international debut when he contests for the vacant WBC silver youth junior lightweight belt against Namibian Errekie “Sho Gun” Errikie.
Sizani, from Mdantsane, will vie to preserve his knockout streak, which has seen him knocking out all his five opponents, with Gqeberha’s Aphiwe Magobiyane the only one who took him beyond the third round when he gave him anxious moments in their November clash before finally succumbing to a body blow in the fourth.
KayB boss Mzi Booi said the bout was geared towards steering Sizani to the international scene and breaking into world ratings.
“It is important that he not be confined to fighting local opponents but be unleashed to the international scene to get more seasoning,” he said.
“He is still young with just five bouts but we are building him to be an international star in a competitive division in the world.”
“He is still young with just five bouts but we are building him to be an international star in competitive division in the world.”
— Mzi Booi, Sizani promoter
Trained by former SA junior bantamweight champion Mzi Dintsi, who was known for his knock-out prowess in his own right, Sizani has often been criticised for his seek-and-destroy mentality and not paying attention to his technique.
But Dintsi argued that his prodigy was working hard in training to be a well-rounded boxer; it’s just that he is blessed with heavy hands.
“We are not training him to knock out people, but when he lands his blows, unfortunately, opponents cannot take them,” he said.
“We were happy when Magobiyane gave him some rounds and actually tested him so that he knows how to adjust when things do not go his way in the ring.”
But boxing likes knockouts, making Sizani a star sensation due to his crippling power, with his drawing power set to increase if he deals with Errikie in similar fashion.
The first provincial clash will see mini-flyweight champion Qhamni Mhlana risk his newly acquired belt against Athenkosi Thunzi, while another new champion, Sinovuyo Mthintelwa, defends his flyweight prize against Siyamthanda Mbali.
Mhlana, who burst onto the scene beating a national-rated Malakhi Sobolo in only his second bout, appeared to go off the rails as he failed to win four bouts in a row, before rebounding with a title-claiming feat over Bonginkosi Solani in December.
Mthintelwa, an amateur star, won his first title in January when he hardly raised a sweat in stopping Luxolo Ginguto in two rounds, to enable him to make a quick ring return on Saturday.
Other thrilling bouts, one of which could have easily carried the card, will see the return of provincial junior featherweight champion Ayabulela Xatyana against Uyanda Mthongana in a non-title clash, with recently bantamweight-abdicated champion Likho Sigaba continuing with his featherweight forays against Awonke Tini.
Daily Dispatch
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