Nathan predicts exciting year for his fighters

The future looks very bright for the African continent’s most successful boxing trainer Colin “Nomakanjani” Nathan and his No Doubt Management, which guides careers of a number of top fighters including accomplished former two-weight world champion Hekkie “Hexecutioner” Budler.

This message of hope came directly from Nathan whose successes in the international front earned him what can best be described as a historic moment when he was nominated by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) as one of the five top trainers for the trainer of the year award.

Nathan became the first nominee by BWAA from Africa for this award that is named after American boxing coach Eddie Futch. Winners were announced early in December and Nathan lost out to Bob Santos who trains WBA Super junior lightweight champion Hector Luis Garcia.

That Dominican Republic boxer will challenge WBA regular lightweight American holder Gervonta “Tank” Davis in Washington DC on Sunday morning (SA time). Davis is this era’s super star.

Nathan’s nomination was informed by successfully guiding 10-fight novice Sivenathi “The Special One” Nontshinga to victory for the IBF junior-flyweight boxing title in Mexico. Nontshinga defeated Mexican Hector Flores.

Nathan says: “I am really looking forward to this year; so many exciting things happening involving No Doubt Management and our fighters. A big contest is on the horizon with Hekkie getting his mandatory world title shot against WBC junior flyweight champion Kenshiro Teraj.” That Japanese also holds the WBA Super and The Ring Magazine belts.

“We are also looking forward to Sive’s maiden world title defence and we have so many talented world class fighters. We will also be focussing on bringing back Lerato Dlamini and Yanga Sigqibo,” said Nathan.

Dlamini lost in his bid to win the IBO junior featherweight title to James Dickens in England in October while Sigqibo was defeated on points over 10 rounds in the junior bantamweight fight by Josei Tanaka in Japan last month.

 “A big focus is on our young prospects – the Trutter brothers (Cayden and Tristan), Katlego Khanyisa, Ishmael Kadri as well as Joshua Feldman the Jewish youngster who will make his professional debut. Possibilities are galore with a major surprise or two with regards to my company internationally,” said Nathan, who described his nomination by the BWAA as his biggest ever recognition.

Nathan upgraded his knowledge as a trainer through his regular visits to Freddie Roach, the former professional American boxer, who is widely regarded as one of the best trainers of all time. 

Roach trained many great world champions including four-division world champion Miguel Cotto, former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez junior, three-time world champion James Toney and former light welterweight champion Amir Khan.

He did wonders with Manny Pacquiao, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. Pacquiao is the only eight-division world champion in the history of boxing and has won 12 major world titles.

He was the first boxer to win the lineal championship in five different weight classes, the first to win major world titles in four of the eight glamour divisions and the only boxer to hold world championships across four decades.