Ex-champ Vetyeka bemoans BSA refusal to relicence him

Simphiwe “V12” Vetyeka feels he is far from done as a professional boxer.

Vetyeka from Mdantsane is the former SA bantamweight champion whose distinguished traits made him the first local fighter to win the Super title.

He explained that his exit was circumstantial. The former IBO bantamweight and featherweight titlist was involved in a freak car accident in 2018.

A speeding vehicle hit him as he was opening the door of his own car at Amalinda Road in East London. The accident left him with two broken legs.

He recovered after an operation at Frere Hospital in East London. 

“I went back to the gym and I was super fit to fight but I could not do what I love most because Boxing SA [BSA] did not relicense me,” said the 42-year-old fighter, who is now trained by Ncedo Cecane.

“I submitted every document and that included results from the brain scan but BSA seems not interested in granting me a licence.”

When contacted on the matter, the BSA office seemed unaware of any application by Vetyeka. “I wonder where he submitted his application because we have nothing under his name in the system,” said an administrator who asked to remain anonymous.

Vetyeka is respected for making nine defences of the SA belts nine times. He later won the IBO bantamweight belt in 2009 and vacated the national belt.

He then won the IBO belt in the featherweight class in Indonesia in 2013. Then came his biggest match-up just after that win. Vetyeka dethroned WBA Super featherweight champion Indonesian icon Chris John in their winner-take-all contest. That was because Vetyeka’s IBO strap was also on line.

Vetyeka  pulverised John to retirement in his stool going for the sixth round in Australia. That was John’s first loss in his 53 fights. It brought his10-year reign to an end and John retired after that defeat.