Ring warriors are ready to rumble
YOUNG guns Thulani “Tulz” Mbenge, Ludumo “9mm” Lamati and Azinga “Pitbull” Fuzile are some of the prospects who are expected to wow fans with their skills on Saturday night and eventually restore hope for a brighter future for boxing in the country.
London Olympian Mbenge is a Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth gold medallist who fights in the welterweight division, while Lamati is a three-times amateur champion who campaigns in the junior-featherweight class.
These homeboys from Mdantsane are trained in Gauteng by Sean Smith, who has already guided Mbenge to four wins.
Lamati will make his debut under Smith, whom he recently joined after parting ways with Nick Durandt, who trained him to seven wins and a draw.
Fuzile reigned supreme as the Eastern Cape Youth champion in 2014 and he represented South Africa in the Youth Olympics in Bulgaria in 2014.
He is a gold medallist in the African Games.
The featherweight boxer from Duncan Village is trained by Chief Njekanye, who moulded Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni into the international prospect he is today before he left for Colin Nathan in Johannesburg.
The trio will be in action in a 10-bout card that will be staged by Rumble Africa Promotions at Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday night.
Promoter Thembalethu Ntuthu heads the promotion, which made an indelible mark when it staged a world title championship fight in its debut in 2014.
Mbenge will fight Antonio Mayala while Lamati will meet Luthando Mbumbulwana. 2014 Botswana Both bouts are six-rounders. Fuzile will take on Aphiwe Kelewu over eight rounds.
Topping his bill will be an eight-rounder between former SA junior-bantamweight and junior-featherweight champions Siphosethu Mvula and Siviwe Hasheni in their comeback trails.
Mvula last fought in October when he was stopped in the 11th round by Toto Helebe for interim WBA Pan-African juniorbelt while Hasheni surrendered the national junior-featherweight belt to Bongani Mahlangu in March last year.
Matchmaker Luyanda Kana has urged fans to come in big numbers.
“I brought all my skills into the fore in making sure that all bouts are evenly matched. You cannot predict the outcome,” said Kana, who is the sought-after matchmaker in East London. There will be five more bouts and action will begin at 7pm.