Shades of Mayisela in WBA Intercontinental champ Cafu

It is still too early to make a deafening noise about Phumelele Cafu as a fighter but the talented pugilist from Duncan Village who goes by the moniker “The Truth” has the amazing charisma that Arthur “Fighting Prince” Mayisela possessed.

Mayisela, from Meadowlands in Soweto, was one of SA’s most charismatic fighters and one of the biggest drawcards in the early 1980s.

But it was his fists of fury that introduced him to the black people who had had enough witnessing their beloved fighters losing their contests to white opponents. That was during the height of apartheid.

There was so much tension and hatred between the two races that when American boxer “Big” John Tate beat up both Kalie Knoetze and Gerrie Coetzee, black people celebrated those victories instead of rallying behind their countrymen.

Mayisela rose through the ranks and he won the SA welterweight title which would, in a normal society, be a springboard to challenging for a world title.

But it was Brian Baronet who was given preferential treatment. He was on the verge of challenging for the WBA belt but pressure from black journalists was such that the authorities had to pit the two against each other.

Mayisela bewildered, bedazzled and destroyed Baronet over nine rounds in 1985. That win endeared him to black peoples' hearts and they saw him as their messiah. They bestowed the title of “Peoples Champion” on him and he was mobbed everywhere he went.

That is what was witnessed this week when young and old fight fans attended a congratulatory event in Mdantsane where the affable newly crowned WBA Intercontinental champion Cafu received his gift – two trolleys full of groceries from the owner of Highway Spar supermarket.

Cafu’s title win also earned him R10,000 from the owner of a funeral parlour over and above his five-figure purse money from promoter Ayanda Matiti.

Cafu demolished Ben “Nightmare” Mananquil from the Philippines in three rounds for the title at East London’s ICC Hall on August 2.

Cafu, who is trained by Miniyakhe Sityatha, Ben Mtyaliselo and Mnyamezeli Sosha, said: “I am very grateful; it’s a bigger than I thought. I took it like a normal fight and wanted to win. Victory, sponsor[ship] from Spar and R10,000, it motivates me. I am gonna be more focused. Things are now getting real. I used to dream of being a star and I am heading for greatness – maybe soon I will be a world champion. I am humbled by how people are treating me.”

It is rare for a Filipino fighter to be knocked out clean and the 24-year-old rising star did it in fine fashion.

That was only his second fight in the junior-bantamweight division.  Cafu moved up from the flyweight division in March after his draw with experienced SA flyweight champion Jackson Chauke.

Cafu’s performance in that fight was a reflection of what he is made of, by sharing the spoils with tough-as-nails Chauke who had not drawn a fight before.

Those who have followed Cafu’s career noticed his potential early in 2019 when he drew over 10 rounds with equally competent foe Zolile Miya at KwaThema Civic Centre in Springs. It came as no surprise to them when he made 36-year-old Chauke sweat to retain his title.