Vanquished former world boxing champion Sivenathi Nontshinga is considering moving up to flyweight after losing his IBF junior-flyweight title in Japan a fortnight ago.
The 25-year-old was knocked out in nine rounds by Masamichi Yabuki in Tokoname, Nagoya, to suffer his second loss in 15 bouts in the maiden defence of the crown he had regained from Mexican Adrien Curiel in February.
Nontshinga was initially relieved of the title by Curiel by a second-round knockout upset loss in Monaco in November but exacted his revenge in the rematch.
Rumours of a weight struggle began to surface after the Curiel loss but Nontshinga insisted that he was still able to make the junior-flyweight with ease.
However, his latest defeat might finally convince him to move up a division.
“Listen, I have been fighting as a junior-flyweight for 10 years and now at 25 maybe it is time to look up north,” he said.
“But this is not to say I cannot make the junior-flyweight probably because I put everything in training so maybe that is why I am still able to make it.”
His trainer, Colin Nathan, hinted at the possible move in an interview after the Yabuki loss.
“It is never easy to take a proper decision shortly after a bout because what you say might be influenced by emotions but I think Sive may move up to 112 pounds [flyweight],” he said.
The decision will probably be influenced by the exodus of other junior-flyweight champions Kenshiro Teraji and Jonathan Gonzalez to flyweight, where Teraji claimed the WBC title with an 11th-round stoppage of Nicaraguan Cristofer Rosales on the same weekend as Nontshinga’s loss.
He had originally targeted both for unification clashes when all of them held world titles in the junior-flyweight division.
Nontshinga said he had already put the loss by Yabuki behind him and was focusing on continuing to chase yet another world title.
East London boxing legends Vuyani Bungu, Masibulele “Hawk” Makepula and Welcome Ncita reminded him about how they bounced back after their own losses, urging him to also take the setback on the chin.
“Yes, it was difficult when we suffered losses, especially when we had to surrender our world titles, but we never allowed that to define our careers,” the trio said.
“You will also bounce back and, fortunately, you are still young by boxing age and have bright future ahead of you.”
The Chicken Farm-born fighter said the words had given him strength to soldier on and create history by becoming SA’s first boxer to win a world title three times.
Nontshinga spent more than a year as SA’s lone recognised world champion but has since been succeeded by his stablemate, Phumelela Cafu, who won the WBO junior bantamweight belt in Tokyo two days after Nontshinga’s defeat.
Though he returned home empty-handed, Nontshinga received a hero’s welcome, with a big prize waiting for him after he won a car for being voted the provincial sports star of the year.
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