Tenge feels she still has that sting

Experienced female boxer Noni “She Bee Stinging” Tenge says she still packs a mean punch even though she is in the twilight years of her career.

The 37-year-old, who is now based in Port Elizabeth after having spent most of her life in East London, is keen to show she still has what it takes when she makes a mandatory defence of her WBF super-welterweight world title in Las Vegas in January. Her opponent is yet to be named.

Ahead of the much anticipated bout Tenge will have a warm-up fight in December to shake off the ring rust as she has not fought for almost a year. Her last fight was against Mapule Ngubane for the WBF female super-welterweight title in September last year.

Tenge has a record of 18 wins, one defeat and a draw from 20 outings.

“It’s almost a year now without fighting,” she said on Wednesday.

“You are normally given a year and a half by the WBF to defend your title and if you can’t defend it in that period, they strip you of the title. I have already been stripped of two titles.

“As a SA woman boxer I thought things would be easy for me because I was the only one who held five world titles in SA and even Africa as a whole.

“My WBF world title belt is now at risk and I have to defend it within six months.”

Tenge said she had lost around R300,000 already in appearance fees after cancelling two previous defence dates earlier this year.

The boxer blamed her previous management for the loss.

“Now, the president of the organisation gave me a call and said ‘Noni you have to defend your title within six months. If you can’t do that we will have to take the title’.

“My previous management failed me because two of my titles have already been stripped.

“Now this is the third one. Imagine if they take this one as well. What is the use of doing something you love, but you can’t get the support.

“I am the only female boxer in the African continent who held five world titles but there is not even one sponsor that has come forward because of my poor management.”

Talking about her move from East London to PE the world champion said it was not easy.

“I think I am in good hands here. I have been told the only thing I need to do now is to focus on my fight which is next year.

“I only have three years left. I do want to still be fighting at 40. I want to make the hall of fame. I want to quit as a champion. That is my dream,” she said.

“I was struggling to get fights because there are very few females in South Africa and even internationally.

“Ever since I became a champion I thought that I would have money, but it’s the opposite. Inside I am suffering.

“My former bosses Rassie and Nicky Erasmus offered me a job. I was part of the anti-poaching unit at Black Water Operations. They then negotiated with my manager and trainer Winston Wilson for me to come and train with Edge Fitness Gym.”

In terms of fitness, Wilson said Tenge was on track.

“Noni always has a general fitness. She runs to the gym every morning from Cotswold, so she is fit,” said Wilson.

“She is ready to fight now, but she just needs to get fitter and stronger.

“But, obviously there will be new challenges because we are bringing a lot more science to Noni’s training where she has been doing traditional training.”