Mandela’s message boxer quits ring

BOXER Irvin ‘‘Pretty Boy” Buhlalu, 39, has retired after 17 years in the ring.

The former SA and All Africa lightweight champion from Chesterville, Durban — who was in the SA team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games — said this week he realised he had to make way for the next generation of boxers.

‘‘I have so many things to do in life, including assisting young boxers like Ricardo Hiraman [the only Indian professional boxer in the country] in the ring,” he said.

At the Atlanta Centennial Olympics in 1996, Masibulele ‘‘Hawk” Makepula carried the South African flag but Buhlalu was given the task of delivering then president Nelson Mandela’s message.

Buhlalu, Makepula, Phillip “Time Bomb” Ndou, Victor Kunene and Soon Botes were the five boxers in that team.

After turning professional, Makepula won the WBU and WBO junior-flyweight and the IBO flyweight titles. One of his most notable wins was against Jacob ‘‘Baby Jake” Matlala in Brakpan on February 19, 2000.

Ndou won the SA and WBA intercontinental featherweight and WBU and WBC International junior-lightweight titles. He lost in a bout with WBC lightweight champion Floyd Mayweather.

Buhlalu could only capture SA and All Africa belts.

‘‘I could not leave my daily job and focus on boxing because promoters think only of themselves.”

Nonetheless, he said the sport had been good to him.

‘‘I achieved a lot in it, particularly in the amateur ranks. I will now be grooming youngsters in Chesterville.”

The married father of two boys won 27 of his 37 fights. He defended his national title six times before losing it in 2008.

Buhlalu recently fought Paul Kamanga — a 23-year-old novice — who knocked him out in the first round in Soweto.

That was Buhlalu’s swan song.