Boxing South Africa (BSA) chairperson Peter Ngatane has hailed the success of the TLB Boxing Promotions tournament which was held at the Klipspruit Sports Centre in Soweto on the evening of 17 October.
The tournament was headlined by a clash between former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) welterweight champion Thulani ”Evolution” Mbenge and Kuvesa Katembo from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mbenge outpointed Katembo and walked away with the vacant African Boxing Union (ABU) welterweight title.
And Ngatane, who is also the chairperson of ABU, believes that the tournament’s success augurs well for more boxing action. “I’m very proud that the promotions company put up a good show. We are very proud as Boxing South Africa because the pandemic kept many boxers out of the ring and in poverty. “The coming back of boxing gives an opportunity to boxers to earn a living and also give them the enthusiasm to go to the ring.
At the moment we are very proud that the last two tournaments have been very successful,” Ngatane said, also referring to last weekend’s tournament which was held at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park. “I’m very proud that we had a tournament post-Covid-19 even though the boxers were ringing rusty, they didn’t disappoint. Mbenge won the ABU title in good style and you could see that his fitness is still there.
All other fights were very encouraging.” Mbenge said, ”I’m excited. I needed rounds and I knew I would box this guy. I feel good and I didn’t even feel tired.” ”I wanted to show the other side of me. For me to conquer the world I have to know how to box. I need to do more of this and this is the journey me and my coach are taking.”
Meanwhile, Prince Dlomo shocked Xolisani ‘Nomeva’ Ndongeni with a sixth-round stoppage and became the first South African boxer to beat Ndongeni. An underdog going into the fight, Dlomo sent Nomeva to the canvas with a left hook. ”He is a good boxer and I was shutting his mouth after he said a lot before the fight. I still respect him though and he has a good record. “We prepared very well for him as we watched his previous fights. It’s great that I’m the first South African boxer to beat Ndongeni,” Dlomo said. Losing the fight to Dlomo was a major setback for the KwaBhaca-born former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) lightweight.
”This is the first time ever that I was knocked down like that. I was managing him until he hit me with that punch, which landed at the right time and took me out,” said Nomeva. ”I’m not taking this loss very well. This was a bad loss. I took the fight because I wanted to be active. I had planned to go fight in America. ‘At the moment, I’m in space where I feel that I have failed myself.”
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