Makhanda boxer Ndwayana focuses on defending SA title

After losing on a technical knockout to British fighter Ryan Martin in Swindon, England, on Saturday, Makhanda boxer Mziwoxolo Ndwayana has now switched his focus to his SA welterweight title defence.

Ndwayana missed out on a shot at the Commonwealth welterweight title after he was brought down in the second round by Martin in an eliminator for the crown at a packed Oasis Leisure Centre.

Martin will now face Commonwealth welterweight champion Welshman Chris Jenkins in 2020.

Before the fight “The General”, as he is known in boxing circles, last fought in March, when he defended his SA welterweight title against Odwa Gaxa in Uitenhage.

In the first defence of the title he wrested from Sean Ness in Johannesburg in September,

Ndwayana went straight at the challenger from the second round.

He will now start planning for his third defence fight, which is scheduled to be staged in May.

“It’s a must win,” Ndwayana said.

“I know whoever I will fight against will look at the results of my previous fight.

“Once they hear that I was beaten by a TKO, many boxers take that as an advantage, without having looked at the calibre of the fight and who I was up against.”

According to Boxing SA rules, a boxer who loses a fight on TKO must rest for 28 days before his next bout.

However, Ndwayana is eager to take to the ring soon.

“I know I have been given time out to rest and recover from the last fight, but I can’t do that.

“Next week I am going back to the gym to prepare for my next fight.” Talking about their fight against Martin, Ndwayana’s trainer and father, Bulelani said: “We lost on TKO in the second round.

“We did so well in the first round.

“As a result, our opponent had a cut just above his left eye going into the break.

“In the second round we continued with the punishing blows, but towards the end of the round Martin caught us unexpectedly with a body blow, and that was the end of the fight.”

He said what might have cost them the fight was travelling a day before the fight.

“We arrived in England a day before the fight.

“We were on a flight for 12 hours and, of course, there will be fatigue.

“Also the temperature played its part, because it’s summer in SA, but when we got to England it was freezing.”