The camp of Duncan Village boxer Yanga Sigqibo has dismissed concerns that injuries from his last bout in 2024 could jeopardise his ring return.
Sigqibo is scheduled to face Tanzanian Msabaha Samul Msabaha in a junior-bantamweight international clash at East London’s Orient Theatre on Sunday next week to end more than a year-long hiatus.
The fight will serve as a co-feature to Nhlanhla Tyirha’s catchweight bout against another Tanzanian, Sunday Kiwale.
However, Sigqibo’s comeback has been muted, with tournament posters carrying only Tyirha’s bout, sparking concerns that he may have been withdrawn due to medical concerns.
His last bout nearly turned tragic when he was rushed to the Arwyp Medical Centre after suffering an 11th-round knockout loss to Ricardo Malajika in an IBO world title challenge in August 2024.
He spent three days under doctors’ observation amid reports that he had suffered bleeding on the brain.
This was later denied by his camp, who said he had only gone to hospital on the advice of Boxing SA medical personnel after complaining of a headache.
Sigqibo took a brutal beating in the Malajika fight, being dropped midway through the fight before finally succumbing in the penultimate round. .
Despite the serious beat-down, Sigqibo insisted he was not badly hurt.
He blamed the media for reporting incorrectly about his medical condition, denying he had collapsed in the anteroom before being rushed off for medical attention.
“Firstly Yanga never collapsed in the anteroom as it was widely reported by Johannesburg media,” his former trainer Thembani Gopheni said.
“It was BSA medical personnel who suggested that he should go to the hospital after complaining of a headache on the way from the ring.”
He was given the all-clear, but was ordered to undergo a brain scan and MRI examinations.
Now fighting under new trainer Mzamo “Chief” Njekanye, Sigqibo is raring to reclaim his glory, though there were question marks on whether he had been medically cleared.
Njekanye said his new recruit had undergone all the medical examinations and had been given the green light to resume his boxing career.
“Indeed Yanga’s ring return was subject to him passing the medicals, and I am happy to say he passed with flying colours,” he said.
Njekanye said the 31-year-old was showing great determination to return to the winning ways which saw him scaling boxing heights, leading to him winning the SA title and climbing the world ratings to the WBO third spot.
“By boxing age, Yanga is still capable of achieving big in the ring, but first he needs to win this bout.”
Sigqibo’s loss to Malajika was only his third in 22 bouts, having also lost to Japanese four-division world champion Kosei Tanaka and Ayanda Ndulani early in his career.
“Yanga only lost to world or future world champions in his career,” Njekanye said.
Daily Dispatch
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