It’s going to be all-out war come Friday night
A much improved Justice Siliga wants to outbox Flo Simba
● On paper heavyweight Justice Siliga looks like a tomato can waiting to be crushed and tossed aside by Flo Simba on Friday night.
The 31-year-old has lost to pretty much every recognisable name in his modest career of six wins and six losses.
But the big guy is adamant he’ll change his fortunes at the Royal Swazi Spa, saying he’s a different fighter since joining trainer Alan Toweel nearly a year ago.
Toweel, who operates out of his converted garage in the middle-class suburb of Linden in Johannesburg, already boasts three
He’s moving much quicker and his defence is good Akani Phuzi
Former cruiserweight boxer
WBA Pan Africa champions. One of them, junior-bantamweight Sikho Nqothole, is on the same bill, going up against Sabelo Ngebiyana.
The challenger, with nine wins and three defeats, is the No 1 contender in the SA ratings.
Nqothole, No 2, is considered one of the bright lights of SA boxing, undefeated in 11 professional bouts.
He possesses skills and speed that most heavyweights can only dream of.
Toweel’s gym, with just one ring, is too small to accommodate all his boxers simultaneously, so Nqothole has spent little time watching Siliga’s growth.
But another WBA Pan Africa title-holding stablemate, cruiserweight Akani Phuzi, says Siliga has improved substantially.
When they first sparred together at a different gym a few years ago, Siliga couldn’t go four rounds.
“He’s much better,” said Phuzi, a former top amateur. “He’s moving much quicker and his defence is good. Now he can finish 12 rounds of sparring, sometimes 14.
“He’s grown a heart.”
Siliga never fought as an amateur, going straight into his professional debut in 2010 against Deon Coetzee, a future SA cruiser- weight champion, and was knocked out in the third round. Two wins were followed by three losses, on points to Sibusiso Sibiya, a second-round knockout to Kevin Lerena, who was making his debut, and then a points defeat to Elvis Moyo.
Even the Cinderella Man, Jim Braddock, had a better start to his career before amassing 25 losses by the time he stumbled into his fairy-tale victory against world heavyweight champion Max Baer.
Siliga, who in his last outing a year ago was outpointed by Osborne Machimana for the vacant SA title, believes that boxers don’t have to be born with natural talent.
Many are crafted from their determination and hard work. “My record doesn’t mean much,” he admitted.
Siliga said he ran out of gas against Coetzee and the fights against Lerena and Sibiya were taken at short notice. In the case of Lerena, the offer came on a Monday and he was in the ring two days later.
“My mind was not in the right place. I actually got depressed for six months after that fight because I asked myself how did I lose the fight because I did not get hit. I just gave up the fight.”
But Siliga insists he’s a different fighter these days; the training is finally matching his desire. “I understand the art of fighting now ... Against Osborne I was flat-footed.
“The Justice who fought Osborne and me now, we’re two different fighters.”
One change has been increasing his road work, from no more than 5km to at least 10km, and that includes the gruelling route up the Northcliff hills that awaits all of Toweel’s charges.
He’s packed on a few pounds, now weighing around 110kg. “I’ll have 10kg on Flo.”
Siliga said he joined Toweel to work with someone who shared his same desire for
It’s going to be a war. I do believe it’s going to be a knockout. I can’t see this going the distance Alan Toweel
Boxing trainer
success, though they’ve had setbacks with five cancelled fights during the year.
The bout against Simba will be their first together. “I see myself going further than this,” said Siliga. “I need to win.”
Toweel acknowledges Simba is the favourite, but he believes the match-up is more even in reality.
“I can see a knockout coming and I can see him [Siliga] doing it,” said Toweel.
“He just mustn’t get careless. No matter how hard you train in the gym and no matter how good you look in the gym, the ball’s in his court now to take into the ring.”
He knows that Simba, with 12 knockouts from his 14 wins, still possesses dangerous power.
“That’s a threat for us, but we’ve got a plan in place to manage that threat.”
Simba, 29, has been beaten five times in total, each one inside the distance, compared to Siliga’s three stoppages out of six losses.
“Justice and Flo have reached the crossroads of their careers so I think they’re going to give it their all,” said Toweel.
“It’s going to be a war. I do believe it’s going to be a knockout. I can’t see this going the distance because they’ve both got power [and] they’ve both been knocked out.
“You couldn’t wish for a better fight.”