Former world-rated contender Nhlanhla Tyirha has decided to retrace his steps to where it all started and will feature in a Xaba Promotions (XP) tournament at East London’s Orient Theatre on March 16.
The talented Mdantsane southpaw will fight in an XP show for the first time since he left the promotion in 2022 after beating Esneth Domingo to take a giant step towards a world title shot.
At a time when he commanded lofty ratings with the WBO and IBF, Tyirha surprisingly jettisoned the promotion to join rivals Rumble Africa Promotions.
The move backfired spectacularly when he was knocked out by heavy underdog and journeyman George Kandulo, blowing up his world title aspirations.
The loss marked the beginning of a downward spiral as Tyirha hopped from one stable to the other until he joined the All Winners Boxing Club, which helped him to avenge his loss to the Malawian.
Days after the fight, Tyirha was on the road again until he settled under Mzamo “Chief” Njekanye’s tutelage where he has been grinding it out in a quest to revive his career.
The no-nonsense Njekanye whipped him back to shape and dropped him down to mini-flyweight while looking for opponents for him.
Having renewed relations with XP, Njekanye was able to persuade the promotion to give Tyirha, a former SA junior-flyweight champion, a second chance.
He will now face Phumlani Maloni, who was his stablemate at All Winners.
“I am glad Tyirha will return to the ring, even though we wanted a stronger opponent, because we want to make up for lost time,” Njekanye said.
“But the important thing is for him to step between the ropes and have that feel of a fight and we cannot thank XP enough for giving him the opportunity.”
Despite his rollercoaster career, Tyirha still has time on his side as he is only 25 with an impressive record that includes just two losses, the other one suffered against Nkosinathi Joyi.
He is also motivated by the rise in the world ratings of one of his former victims, Joe Canoy, who has secured an IBF world title eliminator against Ginjiro Shigeoka.
“Tyirha believes he belongs to the world scene and for him to see boxers he beat such as Canoy doing so well internationally lights a fire [in] his belly,” Njekanye said.
The veteran trainer had been chasing Beaven Sibanda as an opponent for his charge, but the Zimbabwean-born fighter’s handlers scoffed at the prospect of what would have been a captivating bout.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.