Ring warriors eye Zonke stable
WHEN a boxing promoter lures boxers to his stable the talk is often about steering them to a title.
But in the case of Thando Zonke Promotions (TZP), the opposite is true.
Boxers who are already brandishing national title belts are flocking to his stable.
The latest is reigning SA champion, Thembelani Nxoshe, who recently joined TZP, bringing the number of champions in the stable to three. Nxoshe joins female boxing champion Sharoddene Fortuin and reigning SA juniorbantamweight king, Lindile Tshemese, as TZP rapidly makes its mark as one of the heavyweight promotion outfits in the region.
TZP boss Thando Zonke is the least surprised by the sudden influx of champion boxers to his stable.
“I am not one to gloat but boxers can see their future in the TZP kraal,” he said.
“The fact that they are even prepared to come [here] with their titles speaks volumes about what we are doing as the promotional outfit.”
TZP took everybody by surprise, when it signed Tshemese ahead of his title defence against Athi Dumezweni in December.
Before the fight, Tshemese was one of the unheralded champions often referred to as a “chump” in boxing circles.
And when he agreed to face Dumezweni, boxing pundits predicted a changing of the guard. In 11 rounds of their fight, Tshemese appeared to be on course to parting with his crown, until the final round, when his never-saydie attitude dramatically swung the fight in his favour, when he battered Dumezweni into submission.
Zonke was ecstatic with the win not because his boxer managed to cling to his title, but due to his boxer’s ability to make his detractors eat humble pie.
“People thought I was daydreaming when I signed Tshemese. Some even dismissed him as a true champion but he proved everyone wrong,” said Zonke.
The fight could have easily walked away with the fight of the year honours had it been nominated in the national boxing awards held in Durban a fortnight ago.
In fact had it been nominated, TZP would have scored a rare feat of becoming the first promoter to stage two fight of the year bouts – in both male and female categories.
And while he is yet to earn the respect of his peers, Zonke is confident of this being the breakout year for his stable of fighters.
Already he is engaging with various promoters to use his fighters while he himself is still making arrangements for his next show.
“We are looking to organise at least three tournaments this year but that does not mean that we will deny our boxers an opportunity to stay active while we are still sorting out issues,” said Zonke.
The acquisition of Nxoshe who previously fought in a Xaba Promotions fight, knocking out Mfundo Gwayana to win the crown, is realisation of a dream as the boxer had once before fought in a TZP show.
“Nxoshe fought under us when we arranged for his first international fight. I am glad that he has now realised that there is nothing quite like home,” said Zonke.
The greener pastures did not quite turn out to be so green for Nxoshe as he found himself being downgraded as national champion after winning the title with a victory over Doctor Ntsele of Free State.
Despite numerous pleas, Nxoshe was never reinstated as champion, until he beat Gwayana in a rematch to finally lay his hands on the belt. Zonke says Nxoshe will be given a voluntary title defence before he is cut loose on the international stage. And Tshemese? “We are looking to pursue international fights for him because I think he has proved himself in the land.”