The last great warrior does it again
When science hits the boxing ring.
Koos Sipho Sibiya (36) who lives in Newclare is currently the African Boxing Union Junior Lightweight Champion and also a BBF All Africa Junior Lightweight Champion.
Sibiya fought on April 28 at the Wembley Stadium in Turffontein where the champion defended his African Boxing Union championship against Baina Mazola, that he won last year in May. The match was sponsored by TK Boxing Promotion and was broadcast live on SABC 2.
The champions opponent could not continue to round 7, as he said it was a stoppage which means that the opponent could not continue. “Up to the sixth-round I was playing with him and punishing him and the other 6 rounds he was not going to make it’’ said Sibiya.
Sibiya is originally from Mpumalanga and started finding his passion in boxing at the age of 15, and by matric, he became a pro-boxer. When he arrived in Johannesburg, he already had 11 fights to his name.
The pro-boxer went on to gyming at the Booysens Boxing Club for 8 months before making his way to Newclare in 2003. Sibiya now trains at the Westside Boxing Academy which is also known as the blue hall with his head coach as Bernie Pailman and assistance coach as Peter Faver.
The pro-boxer remembers the first knocked out he got by Zolani Marali in 2004 August 22 in East London, Eastern Cape province for South African Junior Featherweight title and said that it’s not something he’d like to experience again.
This year the champion will be making 21 years in the boxing industry with 16 years as a pro boxer. The only injuries that he has ever obtained were cuts around the eyes caused by headbuds and fractured knuckles and a few shoulder dislocations.
He admits to not being a ‘knockout specialist’ but rather wins on points. Since 2011 Sibiya only lost one match due to a split decision in 2015.
Sibiya said: “Boxing keeps me young, healthy and makes you aware of a lot of problems in society”.
According to Bjorn Moses, the former Gauteng champion is called ‘the scientist’ because all the punches just go pass him and his ring name is the last great warrior.
Sibiya wishes for boxing to become more exposed in the community and for sponsors to take note of the talent that the community has.
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