Joyi will turn the tables on former victor, vows Handi
AFTER uncertainty about whether Nkosinathi Joyi will finally get his redemption fight, his promoter Siphatho Handi announced the rematch against Filipino journeyman Rey Loreto is definitely taking place this weekend.
“It is my pleasure to announce that the Joyi-Loreto rematch is taking place on Sunday, at Mdantsane Indoor Centre, after uncertainty over Loreto’s availability due to an operation which caused the fight to be postponed last month,” Handi said.
The eagerly anticipated clash had already been cancelled twice before when the pair were expected to clash on December 14 last year. A massive withdrawal of undercard bouts forced Handi to reschedule the match for February 28, but then Loreto suffered an injury while training and had to take time off.
Handi pushed it back to March 22 to give the Filipino southpaw time to recover. Yesterday he revealed that the 24-year-old had fully healed and would be arriving in East London tomorrow.
“Loreto and his crew will arrive in East London tomorrow morning, after which he will proceed to Fitness Joint gym at Mdantsane Mall in NU6 where the premedical and a press conference will take place,” Handi said.
Loreto caused a big upset when he used his journeyman fight record of 13 losses with just 16 wins to knock Joyi out cold in the third round to claim the vacant IBO junior flyweight crown in Monte Carlo in February last year.
The monstrous left hook that smashed into Joyi’s jaw, almost separating him from his senses, received the accolade Knockout of the Year from several international boxing publications.
Going into the fight, Loreto was considered a pawn to let Joyi land a fringe world title before moving on to bigger titles. However, the Filipino used the Mdantsane hero as a platform to launch himself as boxing’s latest “Cinderella Man” as he turned the tables when pole-axing Joyi to become the first boxer in 28 professional fights to knock out “Mabhere”, simultaneously sparking alarm bells about the local’s status as a world class boxer.
Joyi has not fought since that stunning defeat, with top Johannesburg promoter Rodney Berman reluctant to use him – prompting Handi to take over to try to resuscitate his career.
The loss marked a third defeat in his last five fights: he surrendered his IBF mini-flyweight crown to Mexican Michael Rodriguez before being upset by Hekkie Budler in an IBO mini-flyweight title duel.
Handi, however, insists the former toprated mini-flyweight boxer in the world is far from being finished and says he will prove it on Sunday.
“We expect nothing short of a spectacular win for Joyi, and that will help him get back to the big fights he should have been involved in had he not been caught by a lucky punch by Loreto,” Handi said.
To underline the seriousness of the situation, Handi recalled Boy Boy Mpulampula to take over training duties from Johannesburg trainer Gert Strydom, under whom Joyi suffered the ignominious defeat. However, a setback is Joyi’s possible rustiness in the ring since the defeat, while the Filipino has fought once in comparison.