The All Winners Boxing Gymnasium has shot down suggestions that its lack of a dedicated trainer is turning it into an all-losers club after its fighters suffered devastating losses in crucial bouts in December.
The club, which forged international relations with top British promoter Frank Warren — known for promoting Tyson Fury and other champions — is renowned for its sterling work to rehabilitate errant boxers, helping them to turn their lives around.
However, it had a dismal run in December when two of its fighters challenged for SA titles and were defeated.
The first to bite the dust was Mthokozisi Ngxaka against Thinumzi Gqola in a Boxing SA-ordered mini-flyweight title rematch.
Ngxaka surrendered the belt to Gqola in Johannesburg in August in a debatable split decision, prompting his handlers to appeal against the outcome to BSA.
In their review, the judges appointed by the boxing body scored the bout in Ngxaka’s favour.
BSA then ordered a rematch and All Winners’ parent company, Last Born Promotions, scheduled it as part of its December 14 tournament at the Orient Theatre.
However, the tournament was cancelled and the bout was accommodated in the Xaba Promotions tournament, which took place five days later.
The XP tournament featured another All Winners boxer, Lwando Mgabi, vying to regain the SA junior bantamweight belt against Moyisi Booi.
Gqola proved that his first win over Ngxaka was no fluke as he dominated their bout with a lopsided points decision.
Mgabi suffered his first loss when Booi easily bludgeoned him into a stoppage loss in four rounds to mark a gloomy night for All Winners’ boxers.
The club’s bad run continued two days later when returnee Malakhi Sobolo suffered a points defeat to Siphesihle Sityo in a Fireworks Promotion government-funded tournament in Ginsberg.
Sobolo was fighting for the first time under All Winners since leaving the club after defiantly taking a fight against Qhamani Mhlana despite his handlers’ objections.
Speaking about the losses, club boss Mla Tengimfene said his boxers had bad days in the office like everyone else.
Mgabi fought well in the first round and easily won it in my eyes, but something went off in subsequent rounds, and he was not himself.
— Mla Tengimfene
“We were disappointed by the losses, especially with Mgabi, who was fighting under our tutelage for the first time since joining us from Cape Town,” he said.
“Mgabi fought well in the first round and easily won it in my eyes, but something went off in subsequent rounds, and he was not himself.
“Sometimes boxers change in a fight environment, which is what I suspect because he was good in camp.”
Tengimfene refused to blame the defeat on a change of handlers in the corner as Zolani Tete, who had been in charge of training duties at the club, was forced to shout instructions from ringside as he did not have a trainer’s licence.
“We have been winning bouts with Zolani giving instructions not from the corner but ringside,” Tengimfene said.
He praised Ngxaka despite the rematch loss, arguing that the fight was more competitive than reflected by the judges’ scorecards (117-111, 119-109 and 117-112).
“I certainly saw a competitive bout that to me was the best of the tournament, but we move on.
”Ngxaka will return and pursue another route now.”
Some of All Winners’ boxers will be in action when LBP stages its leg of the government-funded tournament in Peddie on February 22.
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