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Fighters fearing hometown calls

KNOCKOUT ARTIST: Patrick Malinga PHOTO: Antonio Muchave
KNOCKOUT ARTIST: Patrick Malinga PHOTO: Antonio Muchave

GAUTENG fighters Patrick "Destroyer" Malinga and Mxolisi "Little Tyson" Nombewu have vowed to win their IBO intercontinental title fights by stoppage in East London on Saturday night.

They do not want their destiny to be decided by judges against boxers from the Eastern Cape where visiting boxers, they say, have suffered dubious decisions.

Malinga will face Xolisani Ndongeni for the vacant lightweight strap, while Nombewu and Siphosethu Mvula will fight for the vacant bantamweight belt. Their fights and six others will be staged jointly by Zulu Consortium and the Eastern Cape government at East London's Orient Theatre.

Said Themba Zulu, who trains Nombewu: "If you, as an outsider, want to win a fight in East London, you must avoid going the full rounds because you will cry tears of blood. That is why we have trained in such a way that we spent five minutes per round in our sparring sessions. We don't want to run out of stamina because our approach is simple - high work rate.

"If the fight goes the distance, then Mvula's career will be over because of the severity of the punishment he will get."

Said Malinga: "The plan is stop Ndongeni within 12 rounds to avoid stress. It is just a pity that he is not bringing the SA title because he was going to go home empty- handed."

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