‘Bulldog’ gives Thysse a lesson in manners, respect
Mhlongo aims for world title with manager Lebo
SA junior middleweight boxing champion Nkululeko “Bulldog” Mhlongo says he beat up Brandon Thysse so bad at the weekend because the mandatory challenger disrespected him during the prefight medical last week.
“He pointed a finger at me and said he wanted his belt, and that drove me mad because he has never won the SA title,” said Mhlongo following his victory at Emperors Palace on Saturday night.
“Imagine a young boy whose career has been built on bums saying that to me. It is then that I changed my plan of teaching him boxing and took a decision to teach him some manners.”
Mhlongo, 34, from Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal, added: “The SA junior middleweight title is currently held by a man and not a boy. I am not that lucky to make headlines in newspapers like other champions, so that I get the respect I deserve. But still, that does not reduce me to being a mini champion to be disrespected by Brandon.”
Mhlongo’s corner was manned by Gert Strydom and Lehlohonolo Ledwaba.
“I will leave it [title] for youngsters once I win a world title, and I know that my manager Lebo [Mahoko] will deliver that to me,” said the softspoken champion.
The punishment Mhlongo meted out in four rounds was such that the crowd at Emperors started screaming for referee Simon Mokadi to intervene, but trainer Harold Volbrecht should have done that to save his fighter from total destruction.
As a result, Thysse – who suffered his first loss against nine wins – earned an automatic 60 days suspension.