Sonjica in shipshape to rumble
course. We might stay with Branco or look for other options,” the boxer’s manager Mla Tengimfene said.
Tengimfene also unveiled Mtya as the chief trainer assisted by the boxer’s father Zolile and former IBO flyweight champion Mhikiza Myekeni – whose relationship with Tete has been on and off.
“I am happy to announce the return of Mhikiza to the team and I want to dispel this perception that the Tete team is experiencing problems. ”
There have been reports that Mtya has been training boxers despite his role as an administrator and yesterday he confirmed he was had been preparing Tete before his title winning fight against Japanese Teiru Kinoshita and his subsequent defence against Butler in England in March.
“I want to reveal that yes. As a BSA employee, I could not help a boxer when fighting against a local opponent,” Mtya said.
“But when our boxer fights overseas I relinquish my duties as an administrator and become a South African who wants our boxer to prevail hence I have been training several boxers when fighting overseas.” REPORTS that errant boxer Thabo Sonjica has reformed were greatly boosted when the boxer easily made the weight for his WBC silver featherweight title clash against George Krampah at Mdantsane Fitness Joint yesterday.
Sonjica appeared to be in a fine physical condition for the first time in his career as he scaled 56,50kg, 500g lighter than Krampah.
Despite easily making the weight he did not appear drained and his new trainer Nick Durandt, who has been responsible in whipping him into shape, sang his recruit’s praises. “He has never given me a headache since joining probably because I sat him down and gave him the ground rules,” he said.
Sonjica will fight for the first time since the ignominy of losing his world title on the scales when he came in overweight for his IBO junior-featherweight title defence agains Filipino Roli Gasca last August.
There were even plans to have him jump two divisions and campaign in the junior-lightweight division but yesterday’s weigh-in proved he is still capable of even making the juniorfeatherweight category.
Durandt is responsible for the Duncan Village-born boxer’s two losses in 22 fights when his former charge Macbute Sinyabi knocked out Sonjica twice before the left-hander avenged the losses when he beat Sinyabi on points.
Reacting to his responsibility for Sinyabi beating Sonjica, Durandt said: “I am responsible for his blemishes in his fight record and now I will make sure he becomes a world champ.”
Durandt described the boxer as having been brilliant in training in his sparring sessions with current IBO featherweight champion Lusanda Komanisi and lightweight boxer Sipho Taliwe. “I can say he is ready for this fight and you will see a better and more improved Sonjica,” he said.
However, Durandt will still need to work on the boxer’s emotions which some believe contributed to his two defeats by Sinyabi.
During a photo session Sonjica reacted violently to Krampah’s taunts by shoving the visitor sparking WBC supervisor Peter Ngatane to quickly leap in and quell the mini revolt.
But Sonjica quickly controlled his temper and even joked with a kid, displaying calm which was often missing in his previous bouts.
His former promoter Mzi Mnguni, who was in attendance, had even hired a psychologist to work on the boxer’s emotions but Durandt seemed to have struck a chord with the boxer.
The fight forms part of Rumble Africa Promotion featuring several other potentially explosive bouts.
The show starts at 7pm this evening.