The jostling by challengers for Zolisa Batyi’s title does not faze his camp as he chases a remarkable fifth defence at East London’s Orient Theatre on April 27.
Batyi is scheduled to defend his SA featherweight title against Lindelani Sibisi, though the camp of Lindokuhle Khuzwayo insists he is next in line.
Both KwaZulu-Natal challengers have vowed not only to dethrone Batyi but to do so by a stoppage, with the Nxarhuni boxer already listed as an underdog against either challenger.
Sibisi has scored stoppages in all but one of his eight wins against two losses with an ABU title to boot, making him the favourite to dethrone the champion.
Khuzwayo has won all his five fights with three stoppages and, despite being just 21 years old, will also enter as favourite if the fight eventually happens.
Khuzwayo’s camp is so confident that his promoter, Xaba Promotions, said it did not mind him fighting in a rival promoter’s show.
“This will be a clean knockout for Khuzwayo, all we want is for Batyi’s promoter to give him his dues,” XP boss Ayanda Matiti said.
But Batyi’s trainer, Siyabulela Makala, dared any of the challengers to try their luck.
“Any of them can come but they will return home empty-handed,” he said.
“It is always the norm for Batyi to be relegated to an underdog status every time the title is at stake, but they all leave the ring with their tails [between] their legs.”
Batyi was a huge underdog when he travelled to Limpopo to challenge Jeff Magagane for the title in 2022.
Not only did Magagane enjoy home-ground advantage, but he had sensationally dethroned Asanda Gingqi, one of only two boxers to beat Batyi in 13 fights.
But the left-hander let his hands go, bludgeoning Magagane to the canvas in two rounds to wrest the crown in one of the upsets of the year.
Batyi was on the road again to defend against Abdul-Aziz Kunert in his backyard in Cape Town and despite being given a draw, which helped him to cling to his title, the general feeling was that he deserved the victory.
Defences against Lucky Hobyane and Yamkela Phaliso before a points win over Kunert in a rematch in his last bout in November have propelled him to the verge of a fifth title defence, which would make him win the belt outright.
No boxer has successfully defended the SA featherweight title five times since Takalani Ndlovu achieved the feat when he knocked out Willie Mabasa more than 20 years ago.
Thembisa veteran Jackson Chauke is the last to achieve the feat in all 17 weight divisions when he retained the SA flyweight belt over Mdantsane’s Thembelani Nxoshe in 2023.
Makala said Batyi’s secret in defying the odds was his Spartan work ethic, stemming from incredible fitness.
“Batyi does not have this fancy boxing that everybody likes but those with that style find him a complicated opponent when facing him.
“He is going to give all of them a tough time.”
DispatchLIVE
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