Fuzile defection a blow for trainer
Njekanye loses second fighter to Nathan’s gym
Top Eastern Cape boxing trainer Mzamo Njekanye is peeved after losing Azinga “Golden Boy” Fuzile to the growing HotBox Gym of successful trainer Colin Nathan in Johannesburg.
The now-revered boxer has been under Njekanye’s guidance for 12 years.
Fuzile, 22, joined Nathan last week. The sensational left-hander’s last fight under Njekanye was in July, when Fuzile won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Continental Africa junior-lightweight title against Nigerian Waidi Usman.
Nathan was a ringside guest in that tournament and was introduced as Fuzile’s international manager.
Fuzile, a former SA, World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth and IBF Continental Africa featherweight champ, remains undefeated after 11 fights, with six KOs.
Njekanye said: “What annoys me most is that Azinga has joined Colin and this is happening for the second time that my boxer joins him. Xolisani Ndongeni left me and joined the same man. Now it is Azinga. What a coincidence.
“This really upsets and hurts me. But I will continue producing champions,” added Njekanye.
Njekanye had taken Ndongeni from obnowhere and turned him into a twoweight SA champion. Ndongeni went on to win the Premier Boxing League.
Nathan said: “Azinga initiated communication asking if he could join my stable along with SA featherweight champion Khanyile Bulana. I agreed to take both of them and yes, they are in my stable.”
Nathan guided Hekkie Budler to the IBF, World Boxing Association (WBA) Super and The Ring Magazine junior-flyweight titles; Simpiwe Konkco to the retention of his IBO mini-flyweight title; Moruti Mthalane to the defence of his IBF flyweight belt and Ryno Liebenberg to the African Boxing Union (ABU) supermiddleweight title this year. New York – World number one and defending champion Rafael Nadal will put his weary body on the line against a merciless Juan Martin del Potro on Friday with a place in the US Open final at stake.
Nadal, the three-time champion, faces 2009 winner Del Potro and is two wins from clinching an 18th Grand Slam title.
That would be just two behind Roger Federer and with an 11-5 career head-tohead advantage over the giant Argentine, he would usually be a comfortable favourite.
But this has been an unpredictable US Open with Federer knocked out by Australian world number 55 John Millman in the fourth round and Nadal coming close to joining his greatest rival at the exit door.
Whoever gets through today will have yet another major challenge on their hands in Sunday’s final where either Novak Djokovic or Kei Nishikori will await.
The 32-year-old Nadal needed four hours and 49 minutes to get past Dominic Thiem 0-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/5) in an epic quarterfinal which concluded at just after 2am on Wednesday.
Now, in his seventh semifinal at the US Open, Nadal is braced for another marathon with Del Potro, the third seed.
In July, Nadal came back from two sets to one down to beat Del Potro in the Wimbledon quarterfinals after four hours and 48 minutes.
“It will be a very tough one. Juan
‘‘ This really upsets and hurts me. But I will continue producing champs