Joyi carries provincial world title hopes
After a dismal year, it’s up to the veteran to save EC’s reputation
Nkosinathi Joyi will carry the hopes of the province to close the year with a bang when he contests for the vacant IBO mini-flyweight crown against Filipino Joey Canoy at ICC in East London on Monday.
This even though at 36, age is not on his side, especially facing a dangerous opponent who nearly dethroned Joyi’s conqueror Simpiwe Konkco when the Filipino challenged for the same title three years ago.
However after the shocking losses of Joyi’s Mdantsane homeboys Zolani Tete and Thulani Mbenge against opponents they had been favoured to beat, it is left to the once invincible Mdantsane veteran to preserve the province’s reputation.
Tete was knocked out by another Filipino Johnriel Casimero, to surrender his WBO bantamweight title in England last month, while Mbenge was ambushed by unheralded German Sebastian Formella in his IBO welterweight title defence in July.
To add insult to injury for the province, talented and bright prospect Azinga Fuzile was knocked out in eight rounds by Russian Shavkat Rakhimov in an IBF junior lightweight title eliminator to cap a miserable year for the region, rich in boxing success.
Now it is up to Joyi to save the day even though the odds are stacked against him.
This is due to the nightmare style of Canoy who also fights from a southpaw stance, as he also does.
But Joyi’s adviser, Siyolo Dabula,
has all the confidence that his charge will pull off the win.
“Nkosinathi is very motivated for this fight and that is a plus for him,” Dabula said.
“He knows what happened to Zolani and he wants to avenge that loss for the country against the Philippines.”
Joyi has come full circle since he was a marauding youngster, having used the very same IBO crown he will fight for on Monday as a springboard to bigger crowns.
This when he beat another Filipino, Armando De La Cruz, in 2006 to win the title.
His world title ascent was propelled by Filipino opposition as he also beat Florante Condes for the IBF title eliminator before unseating Mexican Raul Garcia for the full belt and vacated the IBO diadem.
However as his career winds down he has been yearning for a final bite at the world stage and the opportunity came in the mini-flyweights, a division which defined his ring accomplishments, even though he had been campaigning in the heavier junior-flyweight since failing to dethrone Konkco in 2016.
Monday’s tournament presented by Xaba Promotions will also see Gideon Buthelezi defend his IBO junior bantamweight belt against dangerous US-based Romanian Alexandru Marin while Athi Dumezweni of Mthatha will try to improve his sixth WBC rating at the expense of Argentinian Olympian Fernando Daniel Martinez.
NU8 Mdantsane homeboys Sibusiso Bandla and Siyakhola Kuse face off for the SA miniflyweight crown while reigning SA junior bantamweight king Sabelo Ngebiyane will also make an appearance.