Duncan Village boxing star Azinga “Golden Boy” Fuzile left for Kazakhstan on Sunday determined to banish the memory of his previous overseas trip at the expense of unbeaten Sultan Zauberk.
Accompanied by trainers Zolani Tete and Lonki Witbooi, Fuzile was brimming with confidence as he departed from OR Tambo Airport, having camped in Johannesburg.
He will face the highly rated Zauberk for the WBA continental junior lightweight title at Barys Arena, Astana, in a blockbuster tournament promoted by a slew of companies including Top Rank, Excelsior Sporting Club and Nomad Promotions on Saturday.
The trip marks the first time Fuzile fights abroad since his demoralising points loss to Japanese Kenichi Ogawa for the IBF title in US in 2021.
The left-hander has since reeled off three wins though he is yet to crack the world ratings.
Beating Zauberk, who is yet to taste a loss in 19 bouts, will catapult Fuzile within the title mix and accelerate his quest for another world title bite.
“This is a golden opportunity for the Golden Boy to take a shortcut to the top,” manager Mla Tengimfene said.
“He has been in camp for a while grinding it out under Zolani’s eye as he knows that this is probably his last chance to a world title.”
Tengimfene was forced to remain behind to attend to his Last Born Promotions tournament at East London’s Orient Theatre on Sunday.
He will follow on Monday to join Fuzile in Kazakhstan.
While Fuzile’s last overseas trip was not a successful one, his boxing IQ and ring generalship could see him upset the often crude and gritty style of Zauberk.
The event will be headlined by the WBO and IBF middleweight title defence by Zhanibek Alimkhanuly against Congolese-born Frenchman Anauel Ngamissengue, with more bouts completing the day.
Daily Dispatch
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