‘Ayagqoza amaKhaladi esibhakeleni’
Inkakha yesibhakela uJan “Kid Gavilian” Bergman ikhala ngokugqoza kwesibalo samabhokisa angamaKhaladi ezweni.
UBergman, owanqoba isicoco seWorld Boxing Union (WBU) esisindweni seWelterweight ngowezi-2001, wayengomunye usomankomane owayethandwa kakhulu ezweni.
Wayedlise ngokudedela iLeft Hook zibheke phezulu izinyawo zendoda. Ukudlondlobala kwakhe kwenza amanye amaKhaladi angena ngobuningi kulo mdlalo. Naye uBergman uthi ngesikhathi ekhula eToekomsrus eRandfontein eGoli, wayegqugquzelwa ukubona amabhokisa anjengoGregory Clark, izelamani zakwaWhiteboy uChris noDerrick, u-Aladin Stevens noGerald Isaacs abaphatha izicoco zikazwelonke.
Njengamanje mathathu amaKhaladi alwayo. KunoMalcom “The Stone” Klaasen owangakubo kaBergman noseke waba umpetha we-IBF neIBO Lightweight, uJoshua “TKO” Studdard waseSophiatown noRonald Malindi waseBrixton, abalwa esigabeni seBantamweight nabathishwa ukuthi bazoba ompetha bangomuso.
UBergman uthe.”Iyangikhathaza le nto yokugqoza kwesibalo sosomankomane abanangamaKhaladi ezweni. Lo mdlalo waguqula impilo yabaningi nanendlela yokucabanga ngamaKhaladi. Ngezikhathi zisalwa kwakugcwala phama emahholo nasezindaweni esasiqhathwa kuzo. Inkinga engiyibonayo eyokuthi emalokishini awekho amajimu okuyinto hleze edala ukuthi izingane zingabi nawo umdlandla wokudlala isibhakela. Ngike ngabe nomhlangano nekhansela langakithi ngendaba yokucela asivulele indawo yokujima. Ngisalindile kodwa ngethemba kuzolunga.”
Ejeqeza emuva ngebanga alihamba kulo mdlalo, uBergman ukholwa ukuthi ukube wayenikwa isikhathi esanele ukulungiselela izimpi ezinkulu, ngabe wakwazi ukunqoba izicoco zomhlaba eziningi. “Njalo ngangitshelwa ukuthi ngitholelwe impi sekuhambe isikhathi futhi ngingazilungiselele ngokwanele.
Ayikho into engangingayenza ngangisayina inkontileka ngoba ngangiyifuna imali,” kusho lo mlisa.
Ngaphambi kokuhlabana ngesicoco seWBU, wayezame wehluleka ukuba umpetha we-IBF junior welterweight.
Wangqimuzwa uKosta Tszyu waseRussia ngomzuliswano wesithupha empini eyayise-Entertainment Centre, eNewcastle e-USA ngowezi-1996.
Esezama okwesibili, wamiswa uZab Judah wase-USA ngomzuliswano wesine empini eyayiseMohegan
Sun Casino, e-USA ngowezi-2000. “Ngikhumbula ukuthi kwase kuphele unyaka ngingasayazi iringi ngesikhathi ngithola ithuba eliyingqayizivele lokulwa noKosta. Khona ngingathi ngayiqala kahle impi, ngimbamba ngezibhakela ezinzima kwasho ukuthi wayeyinkunzi loya mbhemu wabuya ngamandla waqeda ngami,” kusho uBergman owayeqala ukushaywa esegudle izimpi ezingama-32
Esemngqimuzile uGuillermo Mosquera waseColombia ukuze abe ngumpetha weWBU empini eyayiseGoli, walivikela kabili.
Ngowezi-2002 wabamba indiza eqonde e-England wafika wasuthisa induku uDerek Roche ngakubo amajaji amnika yonke imizuliswano. Eselwa ekhaya eCarnival City eGoli wenza esifanayo kuPavel Melnikov waseRussia.
Esezama ukuthatha ele-IBO ngowezi-2003 eCarnival City wahlangana nezimbila zithutha njengoba uJawaid Khaliq wase-England owazikhipha zonke walala engandlalelwe umfokaBergman.
Ekhoneni likaKhaliq kwakunomqeqeshi uNick Durandt owayeqashwe izivakashi ukulekelelwa. Weswela amaphiko okundiza uDurandt kwazise waba nesandla ekuxebuleni uBergman, owayeshaye intandokazi yebhokisa lakhe uJoseph “Smokin Joe” Makaringe ngomngqimuzo womzuliswano wesithathu, kwakungabangwa sicoco.
Njengamanje uBergman ungomunye wabaphathi benkampani eqhatha izimpi ubambisene noLehlohonolo “Hands of Stone” Ledwaba noJoyce Kungwane. Bekumele umqhudelwano uhlelwe ngenyanga edlule kodwa ukuqhamuka kokhuvethe kumise yonke into ezweni.