TWO townships in boxing-mad East London - Scenery Park and Duncan Village - will be rooting for their heroes when Sabelo Jubatha defends his SA featherweight title against Wonga Ntoyakhe on Friday.
Jubatha and Ntoyakhe faced each other at Monday's pre-fight medical check-up in Mdantsane ahead of Friday's clash at the Orient Theatre in East London. Initially, this SA title contest was scheduled for Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday, but has since been changed to the Orient Theatre.
Jubatha will be making his first defence of the crown he lifted after stopping Simphiwe Tom in the fourth round when they fought for the then vacant title at the same venue last December.
"I know Wonga very well and I'm sure he knows that I'm going to beat him. I have been through a lot because of this title and I'm not going to let any boxer take it away from me," said Jubatha, referring to last April when Boxing South Africa stripped him of the title after he refused to sign a contract with Eyethu Promotions boss Mzimasi Mnguni for a fight against Tom.
But Ntoyakhe is confident of dethroning the champion and avenging a points loss in a six-round bout in 2009.
"Jubatha is not going to be a problem to me. He was lucky to beat me the first time we met. It's time up for him as I'm going to take the title," said Ntoyakhe.
This fight will be the main supporting bout of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight title contest between champion Nkosinathi "Mabhere" Joyi and Japanese challenger Katsunari Takayama.
Meanwhile, Zolani "Last Born" Tete returns to fight in East London for the first time since his first-round stoppage of Sipho Nkadimeng on December112010.The Mdantsane-bornsouthpaw clasheswithformerSA junior-flyweight champion Muvhuso "Hands of Thunder" Nedzanani in a junior-bantamweight bout.
Trained by Nick Durandt in Johannesburg, Tete is a former World Boxing Foundation (WBF) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa flyweight champion. Tete goes into Friday's battle just four months after he suffered a majority decision loss to Mexican boxer Juan Alberto Rosas in an IBF junior-bantamweight elimination bout in Mexico while Nedzanani might be a little bit ring rusty as he has not fought since July 2009.
Battle splits East London
TWO townships in boxing-mad East London - Scenery Park and Duncan Village - will be rooting for their heroes when Sabelo Jubatha defends his SA featherweight title against Wonga Ntoyakhe on Friday.
Jubatha and Ntoyakhe faced each other at Monday's pre-fight medical check-up in Mdantsane ahead of Friday's clash at the Orient Theatre in East London. Initially, this SA title contest was scheduled for Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre on Saturday, but has since been changed to the Orient Theatre.
Jubatha will be making his first defence of the crown he lifted after stopping Simphiwe Tom in the fourth round when they fought for the then vacant title at the same venue last December.
"I know Wonga very well and I'm sure he knows that I'm going to beat him. I have been through a lot because of this title and I'm not going to let any boxer take it away from me," said Jubatha, referring to last April when Boxing South Africa stripped him of the title after he refused to sign a contract with Eyethu Promotions boss Mzimasi Mnguni for a fight against Tom.
But Ntoyakhe is confident of dethroning the champion and avenging a points loss in a six-round bout in 2009.
"Jubatha is not going to be a problem to me. He was lucky to beat me the first time we met. It's time up for him as I'm going to take the title," said Ntoyakhe.
This fight will be the main supporting bout of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight title contest between champion Nkosinathi "Mabhere" Joyi and Japanese challenger Katsunari Takayama.
Meanwhile, Zolani "Last Born" Tete returns to fight in East London for the first time since his first-round stoppage of Sipho Nkadimeng on December112010.The Mdantsane-bornsouthpaw clasheswithformerSA junior-flyweight champion Muvhuso "Hands of Thunder" Nedzanani in a junior-bantamweight bout.
Trained by Nick Durandt in Johannesburg, Tete is a former World Boxing Foundation (WBF) and World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa flyweight champion. Tete goes into Friday's battle just four months after he suffered a majority decision loss to Mexican boxer Juan Alberto Rosas in an IBF junior-bantamweight elimination bout in Mexico while Nedzanani might be a little bit ring rusty as he has not fought since July 2009.
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