There may be no SA title at stake, but KayB Promotions’ tournament at Guild Theatre will arguably be their biggest, as it will feature four provincial champions in one bill.
The event on April 4 will be headlined by Mdantsane knockout artist Lonwabo Sizani taking a step up in pursuit of his first title when he faces Namibian Errikie Errikie for the WBC silver youth junior lightweight belt.
Errikie replaces Tanzanian Ahmedy Mangula, whose busy schedule left KayB concerned that he might be forced to pull out and disrupt their plans.
“We wanted to secure an opponent without scheduled bouts because anything can happen in the ring,” said KayB boss Mzi Booi.
While Mangula would have come with an unbeaten record, Errikie comes with a bigger reputation even though he has a single loss in five bouts, owing to his country, which often produces strong boxers.
Though Sizani’s allure is captivating due to his knockout prowess, having floored all his five opponents, the organisers’ decision to fill the event with provincial champions, with two of them defending their belts, has piqued interest, with tickets already flying off the shelf a month in advance.
We urge people to secure them as early as now because Guild Theatre has its own policies, which include not allowing anyone near the entrance if tickets are sold out
— Mzi Booi, KayB Promotions
“We opened the ticket sales this week, and I can tell you they are already selling like hot cakes,” Booi said. “We urge people to secure them as early as now because Guild Theatre has its own policies, which include not allowing anyone near the entrance if tickets are sold out.”
The show will see the quick return of Sinovuyo Mthintelwa defending his newly acquired flyweight trinket against Siyamthanda Mbali four months after winning it in Mthatha. Affectionately known as “Pink One”, Mthintelwa needed just less than six minutes to destroy Luxolo Gungutho in January to stretch his unbeaten record to five bouts with all but one stoppage.
Another newly crowned champion, Qhamani Mhlana, will also risk his mini-flyweight belt against Athenkosi Tunzi in a highly anticipated clash in the busiest division in SA. Mhlana ascended the throne with a sixth-round stoppage of Bonginkosi Solani in December but will have his hands full against Tunzi, who will vie for his first title in six bouts with a single loss.
Provincial junior featherweight champion Ayabulela Xatyana and Likho Sigaba, who is yet to decide on his bantamweight title reign, will also be in action in non-title bouts.
Xatyana, who dramatically burst onto the scene with a ninth-round stoppage of Sanele Magwaza to wrest the belt, faces Uyanda Mtongana, while Sigaba continues with his featherweight forays against Awonke Tini in a bout likely to steal the show.
The bout is fit enough to headline any show due to the credentials of the two combatants, with the unbeaten Sigaba previously on the verge of challenging for the SA bantamweight belt, while Tini gave former SA featherweight champion Zolisa Batyi a tough time before dropping a unanimous decision in December.
Tini also engaged in an explosive bout against Sihle Booi in Mthatha in January, with judges unable to separate the winner, declaring it a draw.
Another boxer who was chasing the provincial belt, Simamkele Singile, will also return against Abelo Tokwe in what promises to be an explosive afternoon of boxing.
Daily Dispatch
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