A 48-hour historical moment awaits SA boxing

Prosperous boxing trainer and manager Colin “Nomakanjani” Nathan refuses to get more attention than his country, SA, and the two boxers who will be involved in world title fights two days apart in Japan next month.

They are Sivenathi “The Special One” Nontshinga and Phumelela “The Truth” Cafu, who are trained by Nathan..

Nontshinga will put his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior flyweight title on the line against dangerous Japanese Misamichi Yabuki, a dangerous, hard-hitting former World Boxing Council (WBC) champion, at the Aichi Sky Expo Convention Centre on October 12.

Two days later, Cafu will challenge four-division and current World Boxing Organisation (WBO) junior-bantamweight titlist Kosei Tanaka at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

Nathan said the Shinkansen, the highly efficient bullet train, will get him and his team from Nagoya to Tokyo after Nontshinga’s mandatory defence. “A 48-hour historical moment awaits South African boxing,” he said.

“Both Sive and Cafu are giving me 100%, and both are deeply focused on their quest to win in a span of 48 hours in the land of the rising sun.”

Mthalane was stripped of the IBF title in January 2014, after failing to come to terms with mandatory challenger Amnant Ruenroeng.

Asked how he gives them undivided attention, Nathan said: “I split the training so that they get the right attention they both deserve.”

Regarding sparring, he said: “I have had them spar against each other but I also use other sparring partners as well.”

Nontshinga, 25, from Chicken Farm near East London has been training with Nathan since 2022. Together they won the IBF belt that same year, defended it successfully on July 2 last year before being dethroned by Adrien Curiel on November last year in Monaco.

Nontshinga won it back from Curiel on February 16 in Mexico where he flattened the Mexican in the 10th round. On the other hand, Cafu, 29, from Duncan Village near East London teamed up with Nathan in May, and the world title fight in Japan will be their first fight together.

“I promised Cafu when he joined me that I will get him to fight for a world title; here we come,” said Nathan who started training fighters in 2000. It is mystery to get Cafu straight into a world title fight without even getting involved in an elimination fight, but Nathan giggled before saying:

“It's called Nomakanjani Magic. This is my job that I get paid to do. It is my duty that I get my fighters high profiled fights and produce world champions for SA.”

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