Newly crowned WBF lightweight boxing champion Ayanda "Greyhound" Nkosi says the honour of being voted WBF Boxer of the Month will motivate him to work even harder.

The announcement was made yesterday by WBF president Howard Goldberg.

Nkosi - the former Gauteng and WBA Pan African undefeated champion from Katlehong, East Rand - won the WBF belt with a stunning seventh round stoppage of vastly experienced former WBA champion Mexican Emmanuel Lopez at the Portuguese Hall last month.

The short-route win was Nkosi's eighth in 14 victories against a loss, while Lopez suffered his fourth stoppage in 12 losses against 30 wins with a draw.

"It is actually news to me that I am the WBF Boxer of the Month," he said. "I am excited and happy. This motivates me to work even harder," said the 27-year-old boxer whose growing career is guided by the Malinga brothers and former pro-boxers Peter, Patrick and Vus'Umuzi.

Vus'Umuzi said: "That makes me so happy because it shows that we are doing something right, especially now that our father (Jabulani Malinga), who was also our trainer, is no more."

Promoter Elias Tshabalala, whose company Fantastic 2 Promotions is responsible for the career of Nkosi, described the news as "fantastic".

"I want to pay tribute to the SABC for always giving Ayanda mileage and also a big thank you to Howard Goldberg for giving Ayanda the chance to fight for his title," said Tshabalala - a former top trainer.

Goldberg said: "While Lopez was always brave and dangerous, and kept coming forward, Nkosi picked him apart by using his sublime boxing skills. Ayanda deserves it; he beat a former world champion."