Weight issues have become the talking point ahead of the highly anticipated SA junior-bantamweight title clash between Moyisi Booi and Lwando Mgabi scheduled for East London’s Orient Theatre on December 19.
The pair will clash in the latest instalment of the storied rivalry between Duncan Village and Mdantsane, joining another similar showdown between Mdantsane’s Siseko Teyisi and Athenkosi Thongwana for the SA junior-flyweight belt.
Mgabi, from Duncan Village but based in Cape Town, is bidding to reclaim the title he forfeited on the scales in his title defence against Sechaba Zuma in Durban in June.
Though his camp attributed his overweight to a faulty scale, Mgabi was forced to part with his belt despite scoring a fifth-round stoppage win.
This paved the way for Booi to contest for the vacant title, scoring a sensational eighth-round stoppage win over tough previously unbeaten Ntethelelo Magcaba of KwaZulu-Natal in East London in September.
Mgabi immediately got back on the line to challenge for the title by stopping Ayanda Gangqa in four rounds in August.
Though he had been dismissing Booi as a real champion, insisting he was the rightful owner of the title as he never lost it in the ring, his camp had been planning to move him up to the bantamweight division, fuelling perceptions that he is still struggling to make the junior-bantamweight division.
Mgabi was billed to feature in the Last Born Promotions tournament five days earlier than the date of the title bout.
But Xaba Promotions, which will stage the December 19 clash, managed to convince Mgabi’s manager, Mla Tengimfene, to release him for the opportunity to reclaim his old title against Booi.
XP boss Ayanda Matiti, however, warned him to ensure his weight was under control if he wanted the title fight to go ahead.
“Mgabi must ensure that he makes weight for the title or forget about fighting for the belt,” he said.
The warning underlined the weakness Booi is looking to exploit in the unbeaten challenger, hoping a massive weight reduction might leave Mgabi emaciated.
But Mgabi’s camp denied weight playing a role in the fight, saying he was sweating it out in the gym, having joined the rest of the Tengimfene boxers who will be fighting on December 14.
“Mgabi has been working very hard in the first week he has been with us and is responding very well to the training regimen,” Tengimfene said.
“If people think that he will be weight drained during the fight, they are mistaken.
“Instead he will be throwing bricks and we have even given him that moniker.”
Tengimfene said he had been pleasantly surprised by Mgabi in training and was convinced he would remain in the junior-bantamweight for a while.
“I also thought he was struggling to make the junior-bantamweight until I started working with him.
“I think he is going to stay in this division for the next two years.”
Mgabi is unbeaten in nine fights, while Booi has a single loss in eight bouts.
Daily Dispatch
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