It’s time for ring Amazons to step out of the shadows

Female fighters to show what they are made of in Mdantsane battles

WHEN Sibongile Matiti branched away from Xaba Promotions and Events to form her own promotion company promising to focus on women only, very few expected her to succeed.

This is due to the slow pace with which women boxing is still moving not only in the land but in the whole country as a whole.

For instance one would scratch your head when asked to come up with the five top women boxers in the world off the top of your head.

While in the land Noni Tenge of Mdantsane has certainly been a poster girl for female sport, the lack of opportunities for her to leave major footprints are a challenge.

Admittedly there have been a few emerging talent such as Leighandre Jegels, Bukiwe Nonina and Sharoddene Fortuin but by and large the female fistic sport has been suffering.

In stepped Matiti to form Zbashy Promotions (ZP) whose sole purpose was to bridge the gap. And despite the doubting Thomases, ZP has been largely successful having organised three tournaments so far with resounding success.

Tonight the promotional outfit will once again provide a battleground for the fairer folk when almost all the big names in women’s boxing will be featured.

The venue will be Mdantsane Indoor Centre with the likes of Nonina, Asandiswa Nxokwana who reigns as a SA featherweight champion, unassuming SA junior-flyweight champion Nozwelethu Mathonsi all in action.

With Jegels having just had a fight last weekend when she won the WBA Pan African flyweight title with a second-round stoppage of overmatched Tanzanian Fatima Yazidu, the stage will be left to Nonina to finally showcase her talent in the boxing-mad Mdantsane area after making a name for herself outside the region.

The Idutywa-born fighter currently holds the record for most national title defences by a female boxer when she defended her SA bantamweight crown a record five times.

The achievements propelled her to scoop the female boxer of the year at the national boxing awards Durban this past January.

As if that was not good enough, Nonina went on to win the WBF crown besting experienced German Alesia Graf in Cape Town.

“I have been fighting all over the country but I am yet to fight in Mdantsane,” she said.

Based in Limpopo, where she is pursuing her studies, Nonina is the shining beacon from Idutywa which falls under Mbashe Municipality.

While she is chasing a rematch with Graf after the German requested one back home, Nonina has decided not to let rust accumulate and impede her boxing success.

This is why she has decided to take a stay busy fight against Patience Mastara of Zimbabwe in a six-rounder.

“Noni said female boxers should take even a six-rounder in order to stay active and I cannot agree with her more hence I accepted this fight.”

Mathonsi will defend her crown against Ntabiseng Didi from Port Elizabeth while Nxowakana will oppose Sandisiwe Gxogxo. Noxolo Makhanavu will complete the night of three national title bouts on the night when she risks her crown against Portia Base.

The walk out bout will see Xolelwa Soka and Mapule Ngubane battle in the middleweight. — Boxing Mecca held in