SA boxing on the ropes as fighters crave action
Dlamini’s lack of experience cost him dearly in Liverpool
● Lerato Dlamini’s defeat in Liverpool last weekend highlighted a long-festering problem in SA boxing: most fighters in the country are starved of action.
Dlamini lost a narrow points decision to veteran Jazza Dickens in a bout in which a lack of experience cost him in the middle rounds, exposing his inability to counter his opponent’s roughhouse tactics, which included illegal use of the head that left welts on the left of Dlamini’s face.
The 28-year-old needed to win one of the rounds that he lost and two of the scorecards would have read 115-113 in his favour. Instead, his 20th paid fight ended in defeat.
The loss itself was not the problem. Arnold Taylor lost his 20th paid bout to a rugged Scotsman four years before winning the WBA bantamweight title in 1973; Vuyani Bungu was beaten in his 21st contest before setting the SA record of 13 successful world title defences from 1994-99; and Charlie Weir was knocked out by Tap Tap Makhathini in his 19th fight in 1979 en route to a 1982 world title crack.
Dlamini’s problem is that it took him more than seven years to amass those 20 fights, while Taylor and Weir did it in less than three years and Bungu inside five.
Dlamini is signed to SA’s top trainermanager Colin Nathan, who isn’t contracted to promoters. Nathan relied on his contacts abroad to secure worldtitle shots for boxers Hekkie Budler, Moruti Mthalane and, most recently, Sivenathi Nontshinga, who lifted the IBF junior-flyweight title in his 11th professional fight.
But Nathan concedes the one missing piece in his impressive boxing CV is a dedicated local promoter to push his
fighters.
In 2017 he parted ways with Rodney Berman, South Africa’s longest-standing promoter, a decision that paid dividends in some respects, but came at a price in others.
One of his prospects, junior-lightweight Cayden Truter, has had six fights in just over than three years, three of them this year.
Having 20 fights isn’t enough to be considered a finished product, though Nathan points out that boxers don’t need to have as many fights as they used to.
“If you look at the modern era of SA boxing, the opportunity to get bigger fights is there compared to 30 years ago. It’s a question of manoeuvring a boxer to get to that point.”
But equally, Nontshinga has no place to hide now that he has a world title.
Kevin Lerena, who challenges Daniel Dubois for the WBA’s regular world heavyweight title in London on December 3, needed five years to get to 20 fights, placing him in the company of flyweight greats Mthalane and Peter Mathebula.
Lerena, who previously campaigned at cruiserweight, has the backing of Berman, who started in the game 45 years ago. Berman has been criticised for the choice of Lerena’s opponents, but the fighter, who never had an amateur contest, has notched up 29 paid bouts and now has 10 fights and 132 rounds more than Dubois.
“The endgame wasn’t initially the heavyweight division,” admitted Berman. “But even if it was the cruiserweight division, it was the world title in that division,” said the promoter, adding that many top fighters were groomed on opponents considered sub-par early in their careers.
Berman and Nathan agree that most South African boxers are not getting sufficient action.
Dlamini can draw consolation from Nkosinathi Joyi who also needed seven years to reach 20 fights. Deejay Kriel, already a former world champion, is set to clock 20 in his ninth year.
Norman Sekgapane, the first black fighter to clinch a world title shot in 1978, needed less than three years.
Happyboy Mgxaji, the second black SA boxer to challenge for a world title in 1979, raced to 20 in less than two years. Blue Jaguar Morodi, Bashew Sibaca and Brian Mitchell hit the mark in under three.
The sport has changed substantially over the years, with improved safety standards preventing fighters from competing too often.
The Boxing Act regulations limit a boxer to six fights a year, but that is academic these days.
There are deep structural issues. One is the amateur pipeline, where too few fighters are coming through, prospects and journeymen alike.
Other problems lie within the professional set-up, and most centre on the promoters.
Half a century ago promoters, black and white, had good contacts overseas to secure respectable opponents, and if they didn’t they could hire matchmakers who did. They created career pathways for fighters.
The exchange rate has made that difficult, preventing the once frequent visits of British fighters.
But more tellingly, too few promoters have the capacity to develop meaningful long-term opportunities for their fighters. Some who receive government funding resemble tenderpreneurs more than fistic wheelerdealers; they’re chasing cash, not glory for boxers.
This year 30-odd South African promoters have staged more than 60 tournaments. It sounds like a lot, but it’s not enough.
Look at the numbers: they don’t lie.