Mthatha boxer Sikho Nqothole’s ill-advised trip to Mexico, where he risked his high world rating against Rene Calixto, has come back to bite him, with the Mexican fighter recently getting the nod from the IBF to fight for its vacant junior bantamweight title.
Nqothole, who is based in Johannesburg under the tutelage of Mdantsane-born trainer Phumzile Matyhila, went to Mexico in May to face the unbeaten Calixto despite boasting a higher rating.
The fight was apparently organised to advance Calixto’s world title aspirations and Nqothole was seemingly a sacrificial lamb, dropping a close points decision to the Mexican to derail his own world dreams.
On his return, Nqothole joined Colin Nathan’s No Doubt Management to have a dedicated and internationally acclaimed team behind him.
After beating Nqothole, Calixto vaulted to second spot in the IBF ratings and has now been mandated to fight for the vacant crown against his compatriot, Willibaldo Garcia.
This follows a decision this week by Argentinian Fernando Martinez to vacate his belt to pursue a lucrative rematch against Japan’s Kazuto Ioka.
Nathan admitted that Nqothole had risked his world title dreams by taking the fight in Mexico against a local hero.
“The loss set Nqothole back for about a year but you must remember he was not signed to the No Doubt Management team at the time,” he said.
“I never would have allowed him to fight that contest in Mexico on the terms that were given.”
Nqothole, whose loss in Mexico was his third in 22 bouts, bounced back with a second-round stoppage win over Namibian Jafet Amukwa two months ago to relaunch his world title quest.
But at the age of 30, time is not on the side of the Eastern Cape fighter, whose two other defeats were at the hands of Sabelo Ngebiyane.
However, Nathan, who enjoys impeccable connections on the international boxing scene, said all was not lost for the boxer nicknamed “Sequence.”
Interestingly, Garcia had been mandated to contest the title eliminator against Phumelela Cafu before the Duncan Village boxer won the WBO title.
The mandate was inexplicably rescinded, prompting Cafu to leave his previous handlers to join Nathan, who helped him to secure the WBO title shot.
Nqothole, who should have represented SA at the 2016 Rio Olympics, only to be denied by Sascoc’s prohibition of boxers securing Olympic qualification via the African continent, has yet to emulate his amateur success in the professional ranks.
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