Nxoshe to prove he still has it
The defending champ has never lost a rematch in all his 27 bouts
THEMBELANI Nxoshe will enter tomorrow’s fight against Nhlanhla Ngamntwini as an underdog owing to the loss he suffered in their clash last December.
But the Mdantsane boxer, who will be defending his SA flyweight title, is banking on his good run in return bouts.
He has never lost a rematch against the same opponent in all of his 27 bouts.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the title will remain with me,” he said.
“If you look at my fight record you will discover that I have never lost to the same opponent twice.”
Indeed Nxoshe has engaged in four rematches and won all of them.
He fought to a draw against Mbulelo Mpendu in 2009 but was able to beat him in their rematch two years later.
Nxoshe also lost to Xola Sifama, but exacted his revenge two years down the line.
The next to feel Nxoshe’s revenge wrath was Andile Phillips, who he beat twice before losing to Mfundo Gwayana in a fight in which Nxoshe was lucky not to get a disqualification.
But in their return fight with the SA title at stake, Nxoshe turned the tables by stopping Gwayana in seven rounds to become the new champion.
Tomorrow it will be the fifth time he engages in a rematch, and he is confident that it will be Ngamntwini’s turn to feel the revenge wrath.
Ngamntwini beat Nxoshe when their bout was downgraded into a non-title fight in December last year.
But tomorrow the title will be at stake and that has awoken the lion in Nxoshe.
“He beat me in a non-title fight, but this time it will be different because I will have to protect my title,” he said.
Nxoshe’s fight record is rather patchy compared with Ngamntwini’s.
The 29-year-old champion has lost seven times in 27 bouts, while the Duncan Village switch-hitter has a lone blemish in 15 outings.
Ngamntwini, who goes by the “24” moniker, has no illusions that he will walk away with the belt.
“I should have been crowned a champion last year when I beat him, but he escaped with the title due to technicality,” he said.
“But this time he will not be able to hide.”
Ngamntwini says the fact that his ring name is “24” is a good omen for him to win the title when he has just turned 25 years old.
“I am ‘24’ and now I have just turned 25 years old, so you can see the analogy there,” he said.
The tournament at Orient Theatre will also see another rematch between defending SA junior-flyweight champion Bongani Silila resuming hostilities with Luyanda Nkwankwa after their drawn bout also in December last year.
However, the bout that promises to steal the show is the one between former SA mini-flyweight champion making a ring return against Loyiso Ngantweni.
Baleni will be fighting for the first time since surrendering his national title to Xolisa Magusha, also last December.