Rags to riches for Deon, Fikile vows repeat

Coetzee will oppose Fikile Nyalunga for the Gauteng cruiserweight title when the pair headline “Prizefighter at Presleys” in Boksburg on November 27.

There’s an air of familiarity between the two given that they’ve met previously. On that occasion, it was Nyalunga who came out tops with a points decision victory.

Coetzee admitted yesterday that his head wasn’t quite right in the build-up to the fight, but he promised a different result against Nyalunga this time around.

“The last fight I wasn’t ready mentally but this time we’re training hard. I just came out of a hard six-round fight and I will be ready for 10 rounds,” he said.

Nyalunga, still a relative novice with only five fights under his belt, comes into the contest off a loss, having challenged for the national title back in June but “Big Animal” assured that he’s learned from the 11th-round stoppage at the hands of Daniel Bruwer and he will bounce back.

“After this fight, I’m looking at that SA title again. I beat him the first time nice and easy and I’ll be coming non-stop. The thing that matters is how I get up and make it right. I fixed all the mistakes and I’m not going to play,” said Nyalunga at yesterday’s announcement of the fight.

The event, presented by World Boxing Entertainment and Real Steel Promotions, will be supported by a rematch between lightweight Prince Ndlovu and Transvaal Mbulelo. The pair dazzled a year ago when fighting to a draw.

Both harbour ambitions of challenging for the SA strap in the future, which sets up a cracker of a return fight.

Promising junior-middleweight Alfonso Tissen will also step in against Kobus Mothloding.