UMbenge usegaqele elinye ibhande lomhlaba
UMPETHA omusha weWorld Boxing Council (WBC) International welterweight, uThulani “Tulz” Mbenge, uzithwese ijoka lokulanda ibhande lomhlaba eselihlule abashayisibhakela abaziwayo eMzansi.
UMbenge uwine ibhande leWBC International emuva kokwehlula ngamaphuzu uDiego Cruz waseMexico empini ebise-Emperors Palace, eGauteng, ngoMgqibelo ebusuku. Nakuba le mpi ibikade ibhekwe ngabomvu ngenxa yekhono labashayisibhakela bobabili kodwa kube nebohlololo ngesikhathi kuvela ukuthi uCruz uhlulekile ukushaya isisindo esifanele esikalini.
Lokhu bekusho ukuthi ngisho angawina kuMbenge kodwa ibhande lizosala lingaphethwe muntu. Nokho uMbenge akafunanga ukumnika ithuba lokwenza intando yakhe, emxina ngomhlokolozo wesokunxele abemdlisa wona kuhlokome indlu yonke. Amajaji womathathu avumelene ngokuthi uMbenge uyena owinile ngamaphuzu kuba u-118-110, 118-110 no 119- 109.
Ngokuwina leli bhande uMbenge uzifake kubashayisibhakela abangu-10 abagaqele ibhande leWBC weltwerweight eliphethwe nguKeith Thurman wase-USA.
UMbenge uthe uzibona engokhethiwe ozoba ngumshayisibhakela wesithathu ozowina ibhande leWBC emuva kukaThulani “Sugarboy” Malinga noDingaan “The Rose of Soweto” Thobela.
“Ngijabule kakhulu ngokuwina leli bhande. Lokhu kusho ukuthi kufanele ngisebenze kanzima. UCruz ungumshayisibhakela onzima, ngeke ngiqambe amanga. Kuyangijabulisa ukuthi sengizongena kwabangu-10 abasethubeni lokulwela ibhande leWBC,” kusho uMbenge.
“Ngingokhethiwe ukuthi ngiwinele iNingizimu Afrika enye iWBC, ngihambe ezinyathelweni zabashayisibhakela abasivulela indlela. Siyabahlonipha futhi siyohlala siyiphakamisa imisebenzi yabo. Silapho esikhona ngenxa yabo. Ngaphandle kwabo ngabe akukho ukugqugquzeleka eNingizimu Afrika. Nakuba sifuna ukwenza okungcono kunabakwenzile kodwa sibukela kubona.”
Kwezinye izimpi ebezikade zise-Emperors Palace, uKevin Lerena uvikele ngempumelelo ibhande le-International Boxing Organisation (IBO) cruizerweight ehlula uDmytro Kucher ngamaphuzu. UDeejay Kriel uwine ngamaphuzu kuXolisa Magusha empini yebhande leWBC minimumweight.
Empini yokubhula amazolo, uRowan Campbell uhlule ngomcacamezelo womlalisa phansi ngomzuliswano wesibili uMasixole Botile.
UMbenge uzovikela ibhande lakhe ngoMeyi kuBradley Skeete waseBritain okunguyena obekufanele alwele ibhande leWBC International noCruz.
Khonamanjalo, uXolisani Ndongeni obekubhekwe ukuthi azakhele igama phesheya kwezilwandle ejima ejimini kaFloyd Mayweather, usejoyine isitebele sezelamani zakwaSmith, eSmith’s Gym.