TLB Boxing Promotions might not have had its wish of five-time world champion Hekkie Budler featuring in their tournament at the Graceland Casino in Secunda on March 20, but the tournament delivered great action.
TLB Boxing Promotions boss Joyce Kungwane is quite happy that the tournament became a success with Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni headlining the event with a fight against Malawian boxer Byson Gwayan.
Ndongeni stopped Gwayan in the ninth round.
With the tournament having been done and dusted, Kungwane is now thinking ahead in terms of spreading boxing tournaments to other provinces.
“It was very exciting even though we were disappointed that Hekkie could not fight because of his opponent being overweight,” Kungwane said.
Budler’s fight was cancelled after his opponent Hamid Kwata failed to make the weight.
“We are grateful to the Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation for the opportunity of putting on a boxing show. If it weren’t for them we wouldn’t have achieved our goal. As TLB, we believe in moving out of Gauteng and setting up similar boxing shows in other provinces.”
Meanwhile, Mpumalanga MEC for Culture, Sport and Recreation Thandi Shongwe is happy with the return of professional boxing tournaments to the province.
“It’s been a long journey, starting in 2017. We have to revive sport, especially boxing in the province,” Shongwe said.
“Boxing was neglected as a sporting code in the province.”
The success of Saturday’s tournament has emboldened Shongwe to think about other tournaments in an effort to revive the fistic sport in the province.
“From now on, we are not going to look back. We waited for the right moment. Good for our province, for it promotes cultural diversity and international relations,” Shongwe said.
Two-time world champion Ndongeni dedicated his win over Malawian boxer Gwayan to his trainer Mzamo “Chief” Njekanye – a man he reunited with earlier this year.
KwaBhaca-born Ndongeni marked his return to Njekanye with a ninth-round stoppage of Gwayan.
“The chief is back. I needed to show him I’m not dead. I’m in a better place, I’m happy. I took care of business, it’s another win for me,” said Ndongeni.
The former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) and World Boxing Federation (WBF) lightweight champion insisted there was no way Gwayan would have won the fight even it had lasted the whole week.
“He was not going to win. He knows he lost the fight. I was still going to knock him out because he was coming to me. I’m back with Chief,” said Ndongeni.
