It was a disastrous weekend for East London women boxers when they crashed to losses in an all-female tournament in Soweto.
Dubbed “Bring Sexy Back”, the Gauteng leg of the Women In Boxing Series was surprisingly headlined by two Eastern Cape boxers contesting for a Gauteng title when Mthatha’s Rita Mrhwebi and Kholosa Ndobayini of Qumbu clashed for a cruiserweight crown.
Mrhwebi, a former multiple SA champion, was making her ring return after a year absence.
She had revealed that she was in the process of winding down her career which flourished in Johannesburg to focus on training women boxers.
However, she was able to add another trinket by out-duelling Ndobayini for the Gauteng belt.
There was no such success for her Eastern Cape homegirls, Azasakhe Jamani, Thobela Nyanda and Asandiswa Nxokwana, who all lost their bouts.
While Jamani and Nyanda suffered stoppage defeats in lightweight and mini-flyweight bouts, respectively, Nxokwana was able to go the distance against Gabisile Tshabalala in her bantamweight clash loss.
Nyanda’s loss was most disheartening as it was induced by injury when she dislocated her shoulder in the second round of her international clash against Malawian Harriet Mtende.
The SA mini-flyweight champion could not continue, prompting the bout to be stopped for her first professional loss in six bouts.
However, her handlers allayed fears that the injury could have adverse consequences on her career as shoulder dislocation has proven to other boxers.
Boxers such as Sibusiso Zingange and Lusizi Manzana were troubled by shoulder injuries which kept flaring up during their bouts until they had to undergo surgery.
However, Nyanda’s trainer, Nkoi Matshoba, said she would be able to return to action within a few months.
Jamani suffered a fourth-round stoppage loss to another Malawian, Adidya Mimu, to snap a four-match winning streak since back-to-back losses in her professional debut.
The date for the Eastern Cape leg of the series is yet be decided after it was shelved from November 4.
Daily Dispatch
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