NU7, Mdantsane, is one of the best boxing-producing areas and is steeped in sporting folklore, yet it has never hosted a professional tournament.
That is finally set to change this Sunday when the new kid on the promotion block, Busi J Promotions, stages their first tournament at the community hall in the area on Sunday.
Saddened by boxers struggling for activity and ending up being swallowed by unsavoury activities such as drug and alcohol abuse, the promoter decided to put on gloves to change the boxing landscape by obtaining a promoter’s licence.
Forging a partnership with one of the country’s most successful boxing management companies, Mshu One Boxing Management, and Luvuyo Tyamzashe Boxing Club, the promoter will bring back the talented boxing duo Siphosethu Mvula and Enathi Stelle from the wilderness.
The two boxers train at Tyamzashe Boxing Club, owned by former fighter Luvuyo Tyamzashe, who has been keeping boxing fires burning in the area despite being confined to a wheelchair after suffering injuries in a boxing bout.
Tyamzashe’s club, whose boxers are managed by Andile Mshumpela’s Mshu One Boxing, includes South African featherweight title-bound Bongani Fule, Mvula, Stelle, female hotshot Okuhle Mthi and a slew of other promising young boxers.
Some boxers spend hours preparing for fights, only to be told at the last moment that bouts have been cancelled. You can imagine subjecting them to starving in order to make weights, only for such sacrifices to come to naught. This is why we decided to take a promoter’s licence, to contribute towards combating this unfair practice
— Busisiwe Jacobs, promoter
Mshumpela, whose boxing involvement was inspired by his US visit where he rubbed shoulders with the top luminaries, decided to rope in his sister, Busisiwe Jacobs, to handle the promotional side to help boxers blighted by inactivity such as Mvula.
Mvula has not fought in four years since losing by seventh-round stoppage to unbeaten Kazakhstan boxer Bekman Soilybayev.
Jacobs said she decided to dabble in boxing promotion after witnessing boxers struggling with inactivity, which subsequently led them to criminal activities.
“Some boxers spend hours preparing for fights only to be told at the last moment that bouts have been cancelled,” she said.
“You can imagine subjecting them to starving in order to make weights, only for such sacrifices to come to naught. This is why we decided to take a promoter’s licence, to contribute towards combating this unfair practice.”
Being a female promoter, Jacobs also wants to help women’s boxing, which is yet to take off due to operating on a shoestring budget.
“We will ensure that women boxers feature in every one of our tournaments, not just on special occasions.”
Dubbed “Ezembeni”, the tournament will be topped by Mvula, a former South African junior bantamweight champion, against Bandile Daniels in a featherweight clash, while Stelle will take on Siphosethu Mhlahlo in one of the six undercards.
Daily Dispatch
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