Boxing 5 to launch own Gauteng provincial title

Boxing 5 will launch its own Gauteng provincial boxing belt during the promotion's ninth tournament at Booysens Gym on May 5, prominent businessman and boxing promoter Larry Wainstein announced yesterday.

The company comprises Wainstein, who is the director; trainer/manager Colin Nathan; and Riyaz Bhyat, who is a dental laboratory technician. 

"We would not have done it on our own," he explained. "I made a proposal to Mandla Ntlanganiso [BSA's accounting authority] that once I have it made, I will show it to him. I brought it to the symposium last Friday and he said it is a beautiful belt," Wainstein said.

He added that the main event will be for the vacant junior-featherweight division between Bheki Maitse and Vusi Ngcamu over 10 rounds. "It's a genuine 50/50 fight; I have to give credit to our matchmaker Abbey Mnisi," said Wainstein.

Maitse is a newcomer who remains undefeated after four fights, while Ngcamu has seven wins, four loses and three draws.

When asked about why he decided to incentivise the show by designing a Boxing 5 Gauteng championship belt, Wainstein said: "We decided as a team that because the winner of the contest doesn't get to keep the BSA Gauteng championship belt, Boxing 5 design own Gauteng title with the BSA logo and the winner will get to keep it.

"We think this will be a nice gesture for the fighters."

Wainstein said they were not taking anything away from BSA, who owns both provincial and national titles. "We are enhancing it to the fighters who will have a belt to show as champions," he said.

Another businessman, Jacob Mnisi, launched a Mpumalanga junior-welterweight belt in 2022. It was won by Xolani Mgidi.

While attention will be on Maitse due to the fact that his father Bongani "Wonder Boy" Mahlangu is the oldest active national junior-featherweight champion, most eyes will be on SA-based Zimbabwean prospect Almighty Moyo and Gauteng lightweight champ Katlego Khanyisa, who will feature in the upcoming tournament.

Moyo, who is trained by Shannon Strydom, will take on Siphiwe Ntombela in the welterweight class over six rounds while Khyanisa, whose career is guided by Nathan, will welcome Malawian Romeo Makwakwa over eight rounds.

Former IBO lightweight champ Xolisani Ndongeni should overwhelm Crispin Moliati from Malawi with ring general ship and experience in their eight-rounder. Moliati is a journeyman who has chalked up 26 wins in 43 fights.

Thabang Ramagole and Frank Sotomela will battle it out in the flyweight division over eight rounds.