Nathan lives up to his May promise
BOXING managers be warned! Never take a fight for your boxers against a Colin Nathan-trained opponent in May. This after Nathan revealed the really reason behind his fighter Hekkie Budler’s stunning win in Japan. Budler dethroned Japanese Ryoichi Taguchi for the WBA, IBF and Ring juniorflyweight titles last weekend.
Nathan said he knew when the fight was set for the May date that his charge would triumph.
In a stunning revelation, Nathan said he had never lost a fight staged in May as the month coincides with the death of his father Stan.
Nathan senior died in 1999 having imparted all his boxing knowledge to his son who took the bite at a very young age. “My father was my boxing encyclopaedia and I learnt a lot from him,” he said after his return from Japan.
“When he died on May 21 1999 we took a decision to set that date and May 22 as the days of his remembrance but I know that I remember him properly when I am involved in a boxing match because that is what he loved best.”
Indeed Nathan showed incredible knowledge at a young age when he was a continuity presenter for SABCTV. During his work he would sneak in a few stories about the developments of boxing worldwide much to the surprise of the viewers especially the old ones who had no idea how this youngster got the boxing knowledge from.
While the Budler win makes him one the best trainers ever produced in the land, his talent for TV presenting never took a back seat as he is also an astute fight analyst.
Nathan was voted as the trainer of the year in the national boxing awards for 2017 and judging by his latest achievements it is hard to see him being dislodged for the award. “Without blowing my own horn I am patiently waiting for someone to achieve more than I have for this year.”
Nathan’s boxers are still scheduled to engage in career defining bouts with former IBF flyweight champion Moruti Mthalane next in line to regain his old title when he will take on Pakistani Muhammad Waseem on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s WBA welterweight title clash against Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur on July 15.