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'go back to nick angel'

Dejan Zaveck lands a right hook on Isaac Hlatshwayo. Pic. Bafana Mahlangu. 13/12/2009. © Sowetan.
Dejan Zaveck lands a right hook on Isaac Hlatshwayo. Pic. Bafana Mahlangu. 13/12/2009. © Sowetan.

GERMAN boxing manager JeaN-Marcel Nartz of Box Event Promotions advised deposed IBF welterweight title holder Isaac Hlatshwayo to drop down to the junior welterweight division and to rejoin trainer Nick Durandt.

GERMAN boxing manager JeaN-Marcel Nartz of Box Event Promotions advised deposed IBF welterweight title holder Isaac Hlatshwayo to drop down to the junior welterweight division and to rejoin trainer Nick Durandt.

Durandt guided Hlatshwayo to victory for the then vacant IBF belt against Delvin Rodriguez in the US on August 1. Hlatshwayo left Durandt seven days after their great victory.

Hlatshwayo rejoined Manny Fernandez, who had been his trainer since 2000, when Hlatshwayo made his professional debut.

Nartz represented Dejan Zaveck, who demolished Hlatshwayo in three rounds in the main bout of the Branco Sports Productions bill at Wembley Arena on Friday night.

Nartz said Hlatshwayo should not have tampered with a winning team.

"We were worried when we signed to fight Isaac because we know Nick's capability," he confessed.

"But we were relieved on our arrival here to learn that they are no longer together.

"I've known Nick since 1989 when my fighter Graciano Rocchigiani defeated Sugarboy Malinga for the IBF super middleweight title," said the veteran boxing manager, who claimed to have managed a school of German world champions, including Henry Maske and Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko.

Zaveck's power was evident when he staggered Hlatshwayo with a stiff left jab early in the first round before taking everything Hlatshwayo had, with a left hook to the jaw in the second round. He stopped him in the following round.

Hlatshwayo, sporting a half- closed right eye, gave credit to Zaveck.

"He caught me with powerful shots. Yes, I might go down to the junior welterweights," he said after his second stoppage defeat, against 29 wins and a draw.

But he disagreed with Nartz on the issue of trainers.

"I won the SA and IBO lightweight (titles) under Manny," he explained.

Fernandez diplomatically revealed that Hlatshwayo did not train hard when he said "going down to the junior welterweights will make him train hard".

Nartz said Zaveck, who has 27 wins (16 KOs) and one defeat, could make his first defence here.

"We signed a three-fight deal with promoter Branco Milenkovic," he revealed.

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