MESULI ZIFO
It is often said a loss could be a big win in boxing depending on how it was suffered, and this does not ring any truer than the case of Chumani “TLB” Thunzi as he plots his ring return this weekend.
Thunzi will make his comeback four months after his spirited display against Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni when he eventually succumbed to a seventh-round stoppage at the Jan Smuts Stadium in KuGompo City in May.
Thunzi was relegated to a cameo role in Ndongeni’s big moment, marking his farewell fight with all the festivities designed to fete him.
Ndongeni’s retirement had long been scheduled, with Sanele Msimang picked to help send the KwaBhaca-born boxer into the sunset in style.
Msimang was a safe opponent who could not spoil Ndongeni’s big moment but when he withdrew citing an injury, a frantic search was launched by organisers.
Thunzi raised his hand to save the farewell which had attracted the interest of the corporate world, entertainment industry as well as national television.
Thunzi was not considered a big risk either, as he was coming off a sixth-round stoppage loss against Aphiwe Mboyiya when he suddenly turned his back to surrender his provincial junior-welterweight belt.
He later attributed the loss to an upset stomach due to his pre-fight meal, which he took without the knowledge of his trainer, Siyabulela Makala.
Still, Ndongeni, who had held his own against the best in the world, including boxers who later became world champions, was a heavy favourite to cap his last fight with a resounding win.
But someone forgot to tell Thunzi that he was supposed to lose.
In a tit-for-tat clash, Thunzi brought his A-game with his volume-punching, forcing Ndongeni to dig deep from his experience before forcing a stoppage.
“I realised he wanted to take my head off and that was when I decided to fight fire with fire,” Ndongeni said later.
Emboldened by his bold stand against one of SA’s best boxing exports, Thunzi is hoping to ride the momentum to Saturday when he faces Ntokozo Msibi in a Xaba Promotions tournament at the Selborne Park tennis court.
While he entered the Ndongeni fight as a huge underdog, the free-swinging southpaw is now a favourite to snap his two-bout losing streak and vault himself into the SA title mix.
This is partly due to Msibi’s patchy fight record, which shows just one win against three losses and two draws, while Thunzi’s loss to Ndongeni was his third against eight wins, six by stoppage.
But Makala is not taking chances as he has put Thunzi in a rigorous training regimen his Modern Boxing Club in KwaNojoli (formerly Somerset East) is known for.
“We want Thunzi to ride the momentum he built in the Nomeva clash, but this time he must emerge as the winner,” Makala said.
“He is encouraged by the flood of messages he received for his performance in that fight, so he cannot wait to prove it was not a fluke.”
The fact that there is no SA champion in the junior-welterweight division since Ntethelelo Nkosi opted to relinquish the title in favour of participating in the WBC Grand Prix, has also sent contenders jostling for positions to contest the vacant title.
A few wins may vault any contender into the title mix and boost chances of contesting the title.
“Yes, we are aware of that, but one fight at a time.
“We are coming off two stoppage losses, so we need to get back to winning ways first.”
Daily Dispatch