After paying his last respects to his role model, Zolani Tete, as one of the speakers at his funeral in Mdantsane at the weekend, Sivenathi Nontshinga will begin his history-chasing journey when he departs for the Philippines this week.
Nontshinga will take on Regie Suganob in an IBF junior-flyweight title eliminator in Bohol, Philippines, next Saturday.
The fight will come after Nontshinga delivered an emotional eulogy about his relationship with Tete dating back to when he was one of the young boxers inspired by him.
He described sharing training sessions with Tete as a catalyst which inspired him in his quest to win a world title in Mexico by beating Hector Flores in his backyard in 2022.
Though he surrendered the belt when he was stunned by unheralded Adrien Curiel with a second round knockout in Monte Carlo in November 2023, Tete encouraged him to use the loss as a motivation to exact his revenge and make history by becoming the only SA boxer to regain the same title from the opponent he lost to.
Nontshinga fulfilled Tete’s wishes when he knocked out Curiel in 10 rounds to regain the title in his Mexico backyard three months later.
The feat also emulated Tete’s two-time world champion status, having achieved it when he won the IBF junior-bantamweight and bantamweight titles.
Though Nontshinga surrendered the belt to Japanese Masamichi Yabuki in October 2024, his IBF world title eliminator against Suganob will pave the way for another historic feat of becoming the only SA three time-world champion.
The 27-year-old will be given an official send-off at Mercedes-Benz Bassonia in Johannesburg on Thursday as he guns for the repeat of his win over Suganob, whom he beat in his only title defence in KuGompo City in July 2023.
Backed by his partners, Asanda Empires, which will organise the send-off, Nontshinga said he would win the fight in Tete’s honour.
“His departure will not diminish the inspiration he gave us but make us double our efforts in his honour,” he said.
“Tete’s legacy will live on forever and it is coincidental that I am getting this opportunity to chase history when he has just left us.
“I intend to make the best of it through his inspiration.”
Asanda Empires chief executive Asanda Mabengwana said Nontshinga’s determination to overcome adversity to fulfil his boxing dream attracted the company to work with him.
“Sivenathi Nontshinga embodies everything that South Africans admire in a champion — resilience, discipline, humanity and unwavering belief in his abilities,” he said.
“He has travelled into the backyards of his opponents and returned home victorious and that underscores his character.”
Though he beat Suganob in KuGompo City when he dropped him in the first round en route to a unanimous points decision, Nontshinga will have to deal with a raucous partisan crowd cheering against him.
However, he said that would not faze him, having beaten opponents in their own backyard before.
“He has already conquered Mexico twice and has also beaten Suganob before so he knows what to do in the rematch,” Mabengwana said.
Daily Dispatch
