Baleni leaves Xaba Boxing Academy after seven years

Successful veteran boxing promoter Ayanda Matiti says he and associate promoter Linda Saliwa have peacefully released two-weight SA boxing champion Siphamandla “Toyi Toyi” Baleni from Saliwa’s Xaba Boxing Academy.

Matiti says he does not know what exactly prompted the veteran fighter to take such a decision after being together for seven years.

Matiti is the head of Xaba Boxing Promotions – the empire which is associated to Saliwa and Zbashy Promotions of Sbongile Matiti. Sbongile is Matiti’s younger sister.

Matiti says Baleni, who won the national title in the mini flyweight and junior flyweight divisions, had been with his academy since 2015. In total the diminutive and aggressive boxer won the SA, IBO Intercontinental and WBA Pan African and WBO Africa mini flyweight boxing titles under Matiti’s establishment.

“It’s been seven years now that he has been with us,” said Matiti. “He was trained by Miniyakhe Sityatha [former SA junior bantamweight champion] and Mnyamezeli Shosha before his departure.”

He said the boxer informed Saliwa that he received an offer from elsewhere.

“That’s what I heard,” said Matiti. “We then took a view to release him. We are not privy to the actual reasons why he opted to leave, but we accept their importance to him and to us. That’s good enough, and we wish Toyi Toyi the best in his future endeavours.”

This happens just after it was reported that Baleni and trainer Jack Khangelani had reunited. It was said that the duo had been a force before when the trainer was still associated with Xaba Boxing Club, and their unity broke when Khangelani left and went solo, taking along Nhlanhla “Mount Kilimanjaro” Tyirha and Asanda Gingqi last year.

It is understood that Baleni and Khangaleni are back together.