Frustrated Walmer township professional boxer Nozipho Bell has left the Bay for greener pastures and has found a new home at the East London-based Lukhanyo Boxing Club.
The Gompo-based boxing club is also the home of reigning SA female bantamweight champion Sharadene Fortuin.
Bell, who holds the SA junior-lightweight title, has since been stripped of her IBF intercontinental junior-lightweight title which she won against Matshidiso Mokebisi in 2021 at the Nangoza Jebe Hall in New Brighton.
In 2021, the boxer was stripped of her WBF world title after failing to stage a mandatory title defence within the stipulated period..
Before the move to East London, she was managed and trained by Mzwandile Sidina.
Bell, who last fought in December 2022, said it was a lack of fights that contributed to her decision to leave Gqeberha.
She will be managed and trained by Lunwabo “Lonkie” Witbooi, who is the son of Spokes Witbooi, the founder and owner of Lukhanyo Boxing Club.
“I am very happy with the decision I have taken to move to East London,” Bell said.
“The reason for my move is because I have struggled a lot here in Gqeberha, especially in 2023.
“I didn’t get a single fight the whole year, the only thing I got was promises, and on top of that, I lost my IBF title.
“In 2021, I lost my WBF title and that hurt me so much and now again I was stripped of my IBF title and that makes me very sad.
“I am now only left with my SA title and it feels like I am on a merry-go-round, there is no growth career-wise.
“My dream is to be a world champion one day but I feel like I am stuck in one place.
“So now I have moved to EL to try to make that dream a reality.
“Ever since I arrived here, I can already see where my future is heading.
“I have a pending fight, I have to defend my SA title against Bukiwe Nonina.
“That fight is due for April so we are preparing for that now.
“So the future is promising and I am happy where I am.”
Lukhanyo Boxing Club head trainer Witbooi said he was approached by a frustrated Bell to join his stable.
“She told me she has been struggling financially because she had not been making any money, yet she is an SA champion.
“Another reason is that she has been stripped of her world title due to being inactive, yet she had a manager. So she felt let down.
“She expressed that she would like to work with me to get her career back on track.
“I did not have a problem with that, I welcomed the move and I asked that she sort out her issues with her previous management,” he said.
Witbooi said it did not take him long to get Bell into the ring again.
Through his contacts, he managed to schedule a fight for February 17, which has since been postponed due to issues with Boxing SA and the National Promoters’ Association.
“The fight was just a fight for her to get back into the ring to prepare for the title defence which is going to be in April.
“Because I felt I can’t just rush her into a title defence without having removed ring rust because she has been inactive for a long time,” Witbooi said.
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