Magusha, Mbenge aim to climb boxing’s ladder in explosive bouts
TWO East London boxers will be involved in career-defining bouts on Sunday in Johannesburg. In what will be one of those rare bouts when a challenger enters favourite over a champion, Mdantsane’s Thulani Mbenge will attempt to topple Shaun Ness for the SA welterweight crown at Emperor’s Palace.
On the same billing, Mdantsanebased Xolisa Magusha will also bid to inflict the first defeat on highly touted, DeeJay Kriel in a mini-flyweight duel.
Mbenge, an amateur standout, will finally get an opportunity to prove his skills by annexing the national title he has been chasing.
Having blasted everything in his path – winning all his nine bouts by knockouts – Mbenge, who narrowly missed out on the prospect of the year honours at the January national boxing awards, is favoured to continue with his march to the national boxing summit.
He is already in possession of the continental title having knocked out Ntuthuko Memela, in his last bout.
While he would be expected to go international after conquering the continent, Mbenge feels he needs the national title to cement his status as the best in the land.
“I have been chasing this title for a while now and I am glad that I am finally getting the opportunity,” the soft speaking yet explosive boxer said.
Mbenge relocated to Johannesburg to train under Sean Smith and he feels the move is finally paying off.
“I left home and came to Johannesburg to pursue my boxing career so I cannot afford to drop the ball now. This fight represents one of the sacrifices made by leaving home.”
Mbenge knows that opportunities do not come around often, although he admits to have been a bit frustrated when his own career appeared to moving at a slow pace.
For instance, some felt he was even ready for the likes of established boxers such as Chris Van Heerden.
And when asked if he would accept a fight against Van Heerden, who has been fighting in the US although he returned home to test the local waters again, he merely laughed before saying: “I do not want to sound like I am calling out other boxers because that is not my style but I would love to take on Van Heerden because beating him would jumpstart my career.”
Interestingly, both Van Heerden and Ness train under Colin Nathan’s tutelage.
Nathan is arguably the best fight strategist in the land with all his fighters sometimes benefiting from his shrewdness.
Ness’s stable mate, Kriel, will try to get Magusha out of the way as he also embarks on his own journey to prove his worth in the talent laden mini-flyweight division currently ruled by his other gym mate, Simpiwe Konkco.
Kriel was scheduled to face Magusha in the Mzi Mnguni tribute tournament last year but withdrew from the fight leaving the hard-punching Magusha to vent his anger on Ayanda Dulani who he halted inside the distance.
Dulani had previously held Kriel to a draw.
A swinging left-hander, Magusha knows one way to fight and that is to “decapitate” his opponents, which might work against him against a slick and move styled boxer. — Boxing Mecca correspondent