Former SA champion Siphosethu Mvula will remain in his current junior lightweight division despite his handlers considering bringing him down to featherweight for his return to the ring on Sunday.
Mvula faces dangerous Bandile Daniels, from Kariega, in a risky bout after a four-year hiatus in a quest to relaunch his once-promising career.
The clash at the NU7 Community Hall in Mdantsane will top Busi J Promotions’ inaugural tournament that features six further bouts, including the appearance of one-time SA title challenger Enathi Stelle.
But the spotlight will be on whether Mvula still has the talent after his breakout year in 2013 when he won the SA junior bantamweight title as a 20-year-old prodigy.
Plucked from the talent-laden Duncan Village township, Mvula ascended the throne in only his sixth professional bout 17 months after starting to fight for pay when he dethroned Unathi Gqokoma.
However, his moment of glory was tarnished by a struggle with weight. He had to forfeit the title without defending it.
Mvula will be too good for this boy, mark my words
— Andile Mshumpela
He ballooned into a lightweight, but failed to unseat Tshifhiwa Munyani in an SA title challenge.
Lacking consistency, Mvula could dazzle, like when he outfoxed former world champion Lusanda Komanisi, but disappoint in his next bout.
He decided to team up with Mshu One Boxing Management, under Andile Mshumpela, who whipped him into shape by bringing him down to junior lightweight.
After trouncing Prince Dlomo, who had a reputation for beating Eastern Cape boxers, Mshumpela accepted a bout four years ago for Mvula in Poland against then-unbeaten Kazakhstani boxer Bekman Soilybayev. Mvula was stopped in seven rounds, and has not fought since.
Mshumpela said Sunday’s fight against Daniels was initially planned for featherweight before deciding to move it to junior lightweight. “It would have killed Mvula to fight in featherweight, but junior lightweight is his natural fighting weight,” he said. “We want him to get a win under his belt before turning him loose on other contenders in the division.”
Daniels has not fought since suffering a first-round stoppage loss to Lubabalo Kweyi in a provincial title clash in Gqeberha in October. He entered the fight boasting an unbeaten record with stoppages in all but one of his four wins.
While the Kariega boxer is heavy-handed, Mshumpela allayed fears of him upsetting the rusty Mvula: “Mvula will be too good for this boy, mark my words.”
Sunday’s tournament starts at 2pm with R70 admission.
Daily Dispatch
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