SIYO’S EXPLOSIVE TEST
Budler bout has fiery undertones
WILL Siyabonga Siyo bear the brunt of his promoter’s failure to pay Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni his purse?
That is the question being asked in boxing circles, as Siyo, who hails from Duncan Village, prepares to take on Ndongeni’s stablemate, Hekkie Budler, in a highly-anticipated mini-flyweight clash at Emperors Palace on Saturday.
The fight pits Siyo’s promoter, Andile Sidinile, against a Colin Nathan-trained boxer for the first time since Ndongeni, who is also trained by Nathan, fought in Sidinile’s Sijuta Promotions tournament.
Ndongeni, whose rise to the IBO lightweight throne was thanks largely to Sidinile’s influence, is now at loggerheads with the Sijuta boss for failing to pay him the purse for his fight against Tanzanian Emelio Norfat in April.
Ndongeni is one of two boxers still owed money from the tournament staged as part of Fort Hare University’s centenary celebration.
Siyo, who is promoted by Sidinile, travels to Johannesburg to face Ndongeni’s stablemate, Budler, in a Golden Gloves Promotions tournament on Saturday.
The tournament will be topped by the Super Four Cruiserweight final between Danish Micki Nielsen and Kevin Lerena in a battle of southpaws.
But the focus in the Eastern Cape will be on Siyo, with the local boxing fraternity keen to see if he will be able to help his promoter get the better of a Nathan-trained boxer.
Ndongeni, who is also preparing for a mega-fight of his own when he takes on Venezuelan Ismael Barroso in California on November 4, refused to be drawn into the dynamics of the Siyo-Budler fight.
“To me it is just a fight and has nothing to do with me,” he said.
“I am owed my money and I do not think Hekkie will fight my battle. But we as the team will never be happy if Hekkie loses to Siyo, so we are looking forward to beating him again.”
Ndongeni was referring to Siyo’s loss to his other stablemate, Simpiwe Konkco, who defeated him on points in a clash for the vacant IBO mini-flyweight title in June.
Konkco will now defend the title against Mdantsane hero, Nkosinathi Joyi, on November 20.
In Budler, Siyo will face a 31-fight veteran who not so long ago was rated as the best mini-flyweight in the world, until he surrendered his WBA crown in March to unheralded Nicaraguan Bryon Rojas in only his second defeat.
And to put into context the gravity of the task at hand for the Duncan Village boxer, Siyo lost to Konkco who was defeated by Budler.
When asked about this little scenario, Siyo said: “Just because I lost to Konkco who lost to Budler does not mean I will lose to Budler.”