Veteran boxer Bongani Mahlangu’s stern warning to his vanquished opponent Ayabonga Sonjica after their fight appears to have fallen on deaf ears with Sonjica’s handlers revealing they will chase for a December rematch.
Mahlangu caused the biggest upset of the year so far when he knocked out Sonjica in six rounds to lift the SA and IBF intercontinental junior featherweight titles at East London’s Orient Theatre on Sunday.
The 42-year-old became the oldest active national champion by achieving this feat.
After pulling off the upset, Mahlangu went to Sonjica, who was still stricken on his stool, to comfort him and ended up giving him a lecture, telling him never to cross his path again.
“You are young and still have plenty to offer in boxing but please stay in your lane.
“I am not child’s play,” Mahlangu told the groggy boxer.
The 31-year-old Duncan Village fighter, a former 2012 London Olympian, was unbeaten and was being steered towards the international scene when he came unstuck.
However, Sonjica’s promoter, Rumble Africa Promotions CEO Nomfesane Nyathela, revealed that the left-handed sharpshooter would be back in the ring by September before going after Mahlangu three months later.
“We need Jay Jay (Sonjica) to return in our tournament scheduled for September against a soft opponent,” Nyathela said.
“After that he will [go for a] rematch with Mahlangu.”
The move has been frowned upon with some pundits believing Sonjica needs a lengthy rest to gather himself and rekindle his boxing aspirations before being allowed to return to the ring.
This even though he did not take a sustained beating against Mahlangu — he was caught by a single punch in a fight he was winning at the time.
Boxers react differently to such devastating knockouts, which can either make or break them.
Nyathela believes Sonjica has recovered psychologically from the punch, pointing out that he was seen joking about it with his fans.
“Jay Jay is in high spirits and has already put that loss behind him,” Nyathela said.
“He is even using it as a joke so it is imperative that we bring him back as soon as possible to see how he performs.”
The loss was Sonjica’s first in 11 professional bouts.
It could be blamed on long spells of inactivity because he last engaged in a competitive fight when he dethroned Innocent Mantengu for the SA title in September 2019.
Subsequent bouts, such as the one against Ghanaian Theophilus Teteh, fell by the wayside when the foreigner failed a medical hours before their clash in Gqeberha in April 2021.
Sonjica finally stepped into the ring in December against Tanzanian Kasimu Hamad Haj, who meekly capitulated after two one-sided rounds.
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