SITHEMBISO MKHIZE
INGQWELE ye-IBF Flyweight uMoruti "Babyface" Mthalane, akuyethusi nakancane ukuthi izovikela leli bhande kuSunny "Showtime" Edwards wase-UK, seyihlale unyaka nezinyanga ezine ingabonakali eringini.
Impi yala mabhokisa alwa ngesandla sokudla, izoba ngo-Ephreli 30 eLondon. Kuzobe kungokwesine uMthalane (38) evikela ibhande, selokhu alithatha kuMuhamaad Waseem wasePakistan ngo-2018.
U-Edwards (25) ungowokuqala wase-UK ukulivikela kuyena. Amabhokisa amathathu aselivikele kuwona ngawaseJapan. Ulwe noMasahiro Sakamoto, Masayuki Kuroda no-Akiri Yaegashi agcine ukulivikela kuye emshaya ngomcacamezelo womlalisa phansi.
"Kungaphezu kwenjabulo ukuthola ithuba lokuvikela ibhande lami, ngiyibheke ngamehlo abomvu le mpi. Ukuthola impi kusho ukuthi kancane kancane, izinto sezibuyela esimweni njengoba kuhlasele iCorona.
"Ngifisa sengathi kungathiwa ikusasa impi. Abalandeli bami abahlale beyilindile. Okunye okungijabulisayo ukuhamba kahle kwamalungiselelo ayo. Ngifuna le mpi ibe ngenye esemabhukwini omlando," kubeka uMthalane.
Bekumele leli bhande alivikele nyakenye, kuJayson Mama wasePhilippines kodwa impi yabhuntsha ngenxa yokushoda kwemali yokuyihlela. Beyihlelwa iTono Promotions kaNokwanda Mbatha, futhi bebezolwela eThekwini. Selokhu asiqala isibhakela uMthalane, usahlulwe kabili kuphela ezimpini ezingu-41.
Ngo-2008, ushaywe uNonito "Filipino Flash" Donaire wasePhilippines kubangwa ibhande le-IBF nele-IBO Flyweight. Waba nebhadi bashayisana ngamakhanda nesitha sakhe, wavuleka inkebenkebe ngenhla kweso lesokudla, waphoqeleka unompempe ukumisa impi.
Omunye ohlule uMthalane uqeqeshwa nguColin "Nomakanjani" Nathan, nguNkqubela Gwazela wase-Eastern Cape, ngenkathi bebanga iWBC International nebhande lakuleli leFlyweight.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi u-Edwards obelwa kwiSuper Flyweight, usanqobe izimpi eziwu-15 asezilwile. Ugcine eshaya umkhaya wakhe, uThomas Essomba kubangwa i-IBF International Super Flyweight.