Triumphant SA world champ Nontshinga to defend his title abroad
South African boxing has a proper world champion again, even if it is in a mess with no board to ensure the professional sport can operate for the foreseeable future.
So it’s no surprise then that Sivenathi Nontshinga, who reclaimed his IBF juniorflyweight title with a stunning come-frombehind 10th-round stoppage win in Mexico on Friday night, will have his first defence abroad.
Trainer-manager Colin Nathan said Nontshinga would engage in a mandatory defence against former foe Cristian Araneta of the Philippines, now the No 1 contender. Nontshinga survived a late knockdown to win their 2021 encounter narrowly on points.
The fight would take place on June 15, although Nathan couldn’t provide a venue.
With the Boxing South Africa (BSA) board interdicted from serving, sport minister Zizi Kodwa has promised to find a solution to allow operations to continue, although he has yet to make a plan.
If he has to wait until the main court case to dissect the merits of the interdict, boxing could remain in limbo for months.
Nontshinga at least gave local boxing something to smile about, delivering a brave, calculated performance in front of a partisan crown in an open-air arena in Oaxaca to take back the world title from Adrian Curiel.
The South African was behind on two scorecards — one by two points and the other four points — when the referee waved it over.
Curiel had won their first encounter last year on a second-round stoppage with a big right hand thrown from a distance, but this time Nontshinga fought toe-to-toe to nullify that punch.
The Mexican was the busier of the two on the inside, and Nontshinga looked a little lost at times, trapped on the ropes and absorbing blows. “Sive’s only had 14 fights, but he’s got a very good boxing IQ,” said Nathan.
“Curiel’s had twice as many fights. I thought Curiel would bully us the way he did. Even though we were losing the rounds, we were still in the fight and being effective.”
‘The Special One’ kept landing bombs to the body throughout and these took a toll. By the time Curiel tried giving himself some distance to offload his bombs, Nontshinga retaliated with his superior skills.
Nathan said it was all part of the plan. “My strategy was to engage the first half in the pocket, not to be long because he expected us to be long. That’s how we got suckered in the first fight. We were being outworked early, but Sive’s body shots really had an effect on Curiel.
“And even though we were behind, we knew he was a sucker for the jab and he couldn’t adapt. It was pretty much game over from round eight.”
Even the left hook that staggered Curiel late in the ninth round had been practised in the gym, the end of a combination that had started with a jab. “The square jab was something we worked on for weeks and weeks.”
Nontshinga was nailed in Monte Carlo after throwing a sloppy jab, but this time he was sharp. He is the first South African fighter to reclaim a world title in a rematch.