Defending title in Japan piece of cake for Nontshinga

IBF boxing champ Sivenathi Nontshinga with sports minister Gayton McKenzie.
IBF boxing champ Sivenathi Nontshinga with sports minister Gayton McKenzie.
Image: supplied

Sivenathi Nontshinga is no sissy who wants to be treated with kid gloves.

Being the only legitimate world boxing champion in South Africa has not turned him into a person with an inflated view of his own talent.

He is not making any demands to arts, sports and culture minister Gayton McKenzie to help him defend his IBF junior flyweight belt at home since he won it a million miles away from his East London home on February 16.

Nontshinga, whose prosperous career is guided in Johannesburg by No Doubt Management of successful trainer Colin “Nomakanjani” Nathan, dethroned Mexican Adrian Curiel via a technical knockout, with the referee stopping the contest in the 10th round, in Mexico.

Aptly baptised “The Special One”, whose cleverness and adroitness is akin to that of super skilled Welcome “The Hawk” Ncita – the first black IBF champ in South Africa – will make his first defence against Japanese Masamichi Yabuki.

Nathan announced yesterday the boxing match will be organised by British promoter Eddie Hearns’ Matchroom Sport and Lush Midori Gym, in association with Teiken Promotions, in Nagoya, Japan, on October 12.

Hearn has a contract with Nontshinga, while Teiken Promotions’ owner Teiken Honda is responsible for the career of 32-year-old Masamichi.

The No 2 contender for Nontshinga’s crown, who has previously held the WBC belt, Masamichi will enjoy home crowd advantage. But that means nothing to the defending champion. Instead, going out to make himself known in the world is exactly what Nontshinga wants. “I am not a South African junior flyweight champion but a world champion," he said bluntly yesterday.

“I represent South Africa in the world of boxing so going out of my comfort zone will force even those doubting Thomases who look down upon African fighters to stand up and agree that we’re up there with them. All we need is opportunities, [as] we have what it takes to conquer the world.

“Yes, it will be nice to defend here at home, if that opportunity is presented to me, but I’m not worried at all by going [to Japan]. I mean, I am now used to it.”

The first time Nontshinga won the title, the fight took place in Mexico, where he defeated Hector Flores on points to claim the vacant belt. His first defence took place at home in East London, where he outpointed Regie Suganob over 12 rounds at the International Convention Centre.

That championship was organised by Rumble Africa Promotions. Nontshinga lost the belt via a second-round knockout in Monaco to Curiel, whose reign was short-lived. Nontshinga reclaimed his belt three months later. That achievement earned him 2023 BSA Boxer of the Year Award and pocketted R50 000 for it.

“I saw his (Masamichi) fights; he’s strong and a big puncher but I’ve been there before, and proved that I don't freeze in big stages,” said the champion whose father Thembani “Best” Gopheni is Nathan's assistant. “I will beat him.”

Nathan: said he had no problem for them traveling to Japan for the contest. “Sive has proved he can go into the opponent’s backyard, perform and win. From a business perspective, Sive is getting paid handsomely, and I have a responsibility to get him the best possible deals in his career.”

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