SIPHO "Tsunami" Taliwe has finally earned the respect that is afforded to all deserving South African boxing champions.
SIPHO "Tsunami" Taliwe has finally earned the respect that is afforded to all deserving South African boxing champions.
The self-effacing fighter from the sleepy town of Aliwal North in Eastern Cape holds the national junior lightweight belt.
Winning the title is an achievement for any boxer but defending it determines the future of a champion.
Taliwe sweated blood and tears to win the national belt from Jasper Seroka last year but some sections of the boxing fraternity refused to give him the credit he deserved for his heroic performance.
But all that changed last weekend after his dazzling performance against Warren "The Warrior" Joubert, who had to be rescued from total destruction in four rounds.
Joubert, a real warrior, was hit mercilessly from the second round but he kept coming forward until Taliwe's wicked right hook sent him flying against the ropes before hitting the canvass.
After the fight at Wembley Arena on Friday night, many of the ringside media personalities were left dumbstruck.
"Amazing. Incredible. Unbelievable!" were some of the adjectives the fans used to describe Taliwe's performance on the night. And the most common and probably most fitting exclamation used was "wow!"
Joubert's trainer Nick Durandt, who threw in the towel to save his badly beaten charge, said there was no excuse.
"We were adequately prepared for the fight but we ended up on the losing end and well done to Sipho," he said.
But Durandt warned that his other charge, Godfrey Nzimande, will spoil the party for Taliwe and his trainers Benny Pailman, Peter Faver and Cliff Martins.
He had warned before last week's fight that there wouldn't be lights in Westbury after 10pm last Friday night. That is where the Westside Boxing Academy of the three musketeers (Pailman, Faver and Martins) is based.
Upon hearing Durandt's words, Pailman said: "There were lights in Westbury and there will be lights even after we fight Nzimande."
Taliwe makes believers of doubters
SIPHO "Tsunami" Taliwe has finally earned the respect that is afforded to all deserving South African boxing champions.
SIPHO "Tsunami" Taliwe has finally earned the respect that is afforded to all deserving South African boxing champions.
The self-effacing fighter from the sleepy town of Aliwal North in Eastern Cape holds the national junior lightweight belt.
Winning the title is an achievement for any boxer but defending it determines the future of a champion.
Taliwe sweated blood and tears to win the national belt from Jasper Seroka last year but some sections of the boxing fraternity refused to give him the credit he deserved for his heroic performance.
But all that changed last weekend after his dazzling performance against Warren "The Warrior" Joubert, who had to be rescued from total destruction in four rounds.
Joubert, a real warrior, was hit mercilessly from the second round but he kept coming forward until Taliwe's wicked right hook sent him flying against the ropes before hitting the canvass.
After the fight at Wembley Arena on Friday night, many of the ringside media personalities were left dumbstruck.
"Amazing. Incredible. Unbelievable!" were some of the adjectives the fans used to describe Taliwe's performance on the night. And the most common and probably most fitting exclamation used was "wow!"
Joubert's trainer Nick Durandt, who threw in the towel to save his badly beaten charge, said there was no excuse.
"We were adequately prepared for the fight but we ended up on the losing end and well done to Sipho," he said.
But Durandt warned that his other charge, Godfrey Nzimande, will spoil the party for Taliwe and his trainers Benny Pailman, Peter Faver and Cliff Martins.
He had warned before last week's fight that there wouldn't be lights in Westbury after 10pm last Friday night. That is where the Westside Boxing Academy of the three musketeers (Pailman, Faver and Martins) is based.
Upon hearing Durandt's words, Pailman said: "There were lights in Westbury and there will be lights even after we fight Nzimande."
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