A premature change to a fighter’s stable can put an end to a career full of promise

THERE are very few new things, if indeed any, in boxing. Anything that happens, is something that has once happened before.

There is always a pattern that certain events follow and, if one has been in boxing long enough, they can always foretell the result of any particular incident.

In the past week the local boxing scene was abuzz with rumours and speculation of boxers changing stables.

It’s almost inevitable that at some point a boxer will feel the need to move on, for reasons often only known to him. The speculations of the past week triggered an important lesson, and that is a lesson relating to the wisdom or lack thereof of boxers changing stables.

A move to another stable or changing trainers has to be well calculated, as it could be done prematurely, cutting a bright career short.

The tragic and premature end to Simphiwe Mfaniso’s career, a bright mini-flyweight prospect, sadly comes to mind.

Mfaniso made a premature move to another stable while he was still in the formative stages.

That is the mistake many boxers tend to make and, more often than not, the move is facilitated by influence from friends, peers and family.

In the case of Mfaniso, when he made that move from Lukhanyo Boxing Club to Eyethu, he was blatantly misled as to his readiness to go for the national mini-flyweight title, a title which he had been advised to ignore by his previous trainer at the Lukhanyo Boxing Club, as there were weight problems that had been spotted, and he would be moving up a division to find his power.

While many were showering him with praise, his former trainer, Spokes Witbooi, was unshaken that

(“I was not done with him, I was still building him up”).

Sadly, Mfaniso’s career came to a crashing end in the same division that he had been warned against.

Mfaniso’s development was slighty faster than that of his peers, but mentally and emotionally his growth still needed some adjustments and fine-tuning.

That process was abruptly curtailed... and disaster struck.

Boxers have to be allowed room to fully develop in all aspects – mentally, technically and emotionally.

Once again, nothing is ever new in boxing.