Sivenathi Nontshinga’s world title win in Mexico at the weekend may help restore SA boxing’s image after sports minister Zizi Kodwa promised to bring speedy stability to the embattled sport.
The East London boxer rewrote SA’s history books by becoming the first to reclaim a major world title in the same division from the same boxer who beat him after avenging his loss to Mexican Adrian Curiel when stopping him in the 10th round in Oaxaca at the weekend.
The victory helped the 25-year-old Chicken Farm boxer regain the IBF junior-flyweight title he shockingly surrendered to the Mexican via a second-round knock-out in Monaco in November.
While helping to restore the image of SA boxing on the world stage after the country lost its lone major world boxing champion due to Nontshinga’s defeat to Curiel, the win gave the boxer sweet revenge, rescuing the victory from the jaws of defeat as he was trailing on points.
The manner in which it was achieved prompted major international boxing publications to rank it alongside some of the few classic bouts in history.
Top US boxing website boxingscene.com ran a headline story on Nontshinga’s win comparing it with those of legendary boxers such as Rocky Graziano, Tony Zale, Floyd Patterson, Wladimir Klitschko, Lennox Lewis and a few others.
“It is one thing to box your way to victory over the man who previously relieved you of your senses; standing in the trenches and swapping punches with him with enough ferocity to fully return the favour is another matter,” the website wrote.
This is in reference to Nontshinga’s strategy of opting to fight Curiel at close quarters for the better part of the bout.
With SA boxing enjoying a rare positive moment, Kodwa leapt on the victory lap, promising to knock the sport’s administration back into shape.
SA boxing is going through a crisis period with activity having ground to a halt over the legal impasse between Kodwa and promoters for his appointment of the new BSA board.
National Professional Boxing Promoters Association (NPBPA) successfully challenged Kodwa in court for appointing the board without consulting him as per the Boxing Act.
This led to the board, which was scheduled to begin its three-year term in December, being laid off, plunging the sport into crisis as there is no structure to facilitate the staging of tournaments.
Kodwa’s office has been meeting BSA behind the scenes to try to unlock activity.
In a congratulatory note to Nontshinga, Kodwa emphasised his commitment to restoring boxing stability.
“I would like to once again express my commitment to stabilise boxing in SA and bring the sport back to its glory days,” he said.
“We will make an announcement [about the course of action] in this regard.”
Nontshinga, was scheduled to arrive at OR Tambo Airport with his team on Monday before this was changed to Tuesday afternoon and will now touch down at 11.55am.
The change was due to them missing a connecting flight from Oaxaca to Mexico via Barcelona and Dubai.
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