Every boxer goes to a title fight with endless promises of righting the wrongs, and Mdantsane’s Theo Nxayiphi is no exception ahead of his IBF Africa flyweight title clash against Frank Sotomela at Carnival City, Brakpan, on Saturday.
Nxayiphi is considered one of the fortunate boxers as he constantly gets title shots despite failing to use his chances.
Now in the twilight of his career, aged 31, he is vowing to make it fourth time lucky, having failed in three previous attempts.
The latest is a loss he attributed to a hometown decision to SA flyweight champion Nkosingiphile Sibisi at Sibisi’s Dundee, KwaZulu-Natal, backyard in August.
How he was manoeuvred into a title shot was down to his astute manager, Mla Tengimfene, who avoided speed traps such as Thembelani Nxoshe, who was seen as the more deserving.
Nxayiphi had previously lost by stoppages in regional title challenges, succumbing to Mnqobi Mkhize’s body shot in eight rounds before taking half the rounds to do likewise to unbeaten Namibian Fillemon Nghutenanye in Windhoek.
Now rated fourth — though he is expected to be elevated to the second spot after boxers rated above him suffer losses — Nxayiphi has been recycled to a title shot, with Tengimfene confirming it was the last throw of the dice for his boxer.
The battle of the Eastern Cape boxers will pit Johannesburg-based top-rated Mthatha boxer Sotomela against the flyweight veteran bidding for his last kicks in a Boxing 5 show also featuring Sotomela’s homeboy, Sikho Nqothole
“This fight is two-fold as it will also serve as a title eliminator for the winner to face Sibisi, while there is also a regional title at stake,” Tengimfene said.
“We could not turn it down, especially considering Nxayiphi’s age, so we had to roll the dice and hope for the best.”
To ensure Nxayiphi, who has lost four and drawn three in 16 bouts, is not found wanting in the physical aspect, Tengimfene uprooted him to a Johannesburg camp to counter altitude and distractions at home.
“He knows that we have not cut corners about his preparations, so in essence, it is up to him to perform.”
Sotomela is one of the highly touted boxers whose exploits have attracted the attention of world-acclaimed manager Colin Nathan, though at 30, he is considered a late bloomer.
His career took an upward trajectory since relocating to Johannesburg after suffering a stoppage loss to Pumlani Maloni at East London’s Orient Theatre in his second bout in 2018, winning all his subsequent matches to vault to first spot in the SA ratings.
Daily Dispatch
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