‘Chief’ rebukes Komanisi to button his lips

SOFT-spoken yet straight talking Duncan Village-based boxing trainer Mzamo “Chief” Njekanye has warned Lusanda “Mexican” Komanisi to stop crowing like a rooster just after his win against average fighter Tello Dithebe on Saturday.

“He is making noise as if he defeated Gary Russell Junior, Leo Santa Cruz, Lee Selby or Oscar Valdez,” said Njekanye.

American Russell Junior holds the WBC strap, Cruz from Mexico is the WBA champion, Selby from Wales is the IBF titlist while Mexican Valdez holds the WBO diadem. All these champions campaign in the featherweight class where Johannesburg-based Komanisi from Mdantsane has held the IBO belt which he forfeited last year due to lack of action.

Komanisi said people in East London have been calling his name as the next target for the 20-year-old SA, WBC youth and IBF Continental champion Azinga “Golden Boy” Fuzile, who turned ring veteran Sydney “Skeleton” Maluleke into an average boxer in their IBF Continental championship in May.

“Here I am, I am responding, let's do it. I want to prove to a lot of people that Azinga is not what they project him to be.”

Komanisi, who boasts 17 knockouts in 20 wins against three losses, added: “I wish there was a promoter with financial muscle to organise a Featherweight Super Four Last Man Standing and feature myself, Azinga, Simpiwe Vetyeka and Tshifhiwa Munyai. I don’t mean to undermine these guys but I will win that tournament just to prove that I am the best featherweight here at home.”

Njekanye, who has trained Fuzile from the amateur ranks, said: “Lusanda must desist from using Azinga's name for cheap publicity. He knows what to do (lodge a challenge with BSA if he qualifies). The bottom line here is that Azinga fears no one. Azinga challenged Komanisi when he was still the champion and his response was he does not fight babies. It was then that we challenged Mabhuti Sinyabi for the SA title.”

Fuzile, a matriculant at Kusile Secondary School in Duncan Village, said: “Am I no longer a baby?” The gifted youngster added: “I can tell you now I have no problem at all to fight Lusanda but I am not going to chase after him because he has no belt.”

Fuzile will defend his SA title against Rofhiwa Maemu in EL on July 30. — Additional report by Boxing Mecca