The day Nongqayi defeated revered, vastly experienced Mexican idol Arce

Yesterday marked 15 years since 38-year-old Simphiwe Nongqayi upset the bookies by defeating revered vastly experienced former multiple-world boxing champion and Mexican boxing idol Jorge Arce on points for the vacant IBF junior bantamweight title.

Arce was listed as the second boxer from Mexico to win world boxing titles in four weight divisions (after Erik Morales who first achieved that feat two months prior).

Arce was involved in his 66th fight with only seven losses. Nongqayi – a former outstanding amateur who won the South African featherweight title in 1998, 2001 and 2002 and also represented SA at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur – was undefeated after 17 fights.

Ushered to war by all-time great trainer Nick “Mthakathi” Durandt, Nongqayi from Border Post in the Eastern Cape left thousands of Mexican diehard boxing fans upset when he comprehensively beat up and outpointed their idol over 12 rounds in Cancun on September 15 2009.

Nongqayi was easily identified by dying his hair in a gold and black chess board, which earned him the nickname “Golden Master”.

He was not given even the slightest of chances against Arce. But hunger and determination to scribble his name in the long list of former IBF world champions from the Eastern Cape spurred him on.

Nongqayi dominated the Mexican warrior, winning on official scores of 117-112, 117-111 and 116-112. The champion later drew with Malik Bouziane in France on April 9 2010 and retained his belt by being the titleholder.

Nongqayi’s reign ended on July 9 2010 in Mexico where he was stopped in the sixth round by Juan Alberto Rosas. Nongqayi fought twice more, losing both fights, and he retired from boxing as a fighter and started training youngsters.

According to successful manager Mlandeli Tengimfene, who once worked with Nongqayi when the former world champion trained fighters, Nongqayi is still around but is no longer training fighters.

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