UMSHAYISIBHAKELA waKwaZulu-Natal, uSnamiso Ntuli, uzithwese ijoka lokubuyisa kulesi sifundazwe ibhande laseNingizimu Afrika elisanda kuhlwithwa kuNkululeko "Bulldog" Mhlongo waseShowe.
UNtuli (6-4-0) uzobhekana nompetha weSA middleweight, uJohn Bopape empini ezoba seDlamini Hall, eSoweto, ngoJulayi 31. Impi izoba ngeyosuku kwezihlelwe yiTLB Promotions, okuhloswe ngazo ukuhlonipha uLehlohonolo "Hands of Stone" Ledwaba owayengumpetha we-IBF. ULedwaba udlule emhlabeni nyakenye emva kokuxinwa yiCovid-19.
UNtuli, oqalayo ukulwela ibhande laseMzansi, uzozama ukubuyisa eKZN ibhande elihambe ngo-Ephreli ngesikhathi uMhlongo ekhala ngaphansi kuBopape waseGauteng, empini eyimpinda.
"Ngijabule kakhulu ngokuthola ithuba lokulwela ibhande. Ngendlela engisebenza ngayo ejimini, ngifuna ibhande libuye ekhaya njengoba seliphethwe ngumfana waseGoli. Leli yithuba lami lokuphakama njengoba bengihlala ngibuka kwenzeka kwabanye abashayisibhakela. Ngiyabathembisa abantu baseKZN ukuthi ngizobuya nalo ibhande," kusho uNtuli.
UNtuli ugcine ukungena eringini ngoMashi ngesikhathi ehlula uWandile Ndlela ngomcacamezelo womlalisa phansi, ngomzuliswano wesihlanu eGreyville Convention Centre, eThekwini.
Kubashayisibhakela besilisa baseKZN, nguThabiso Mchunu noPrince Dlomo kuphela abaphethe amabhande aseMzansi. UMchunu waseCato Ridge, ungumpetha weSA Cruiserweight. UDlomo waseMgungundlovu kodwa ozinze eGauteng, uphethe ibhande leSA super lightweight.
Ngaphandle kokulwela ukuwina ibhande, uNtuli uzongena eringini ebheke ukuziphindisela kuBopape owamehlula ngomcacamezelo womlalisa phansi ngo-2018.
"Akukho okutheni engibona kufanele ngikuqaphele kuBopape. Unesibhakela sesokudla esihle. Ngendlela engisebenza ngayo ejimini ngiyathemba ukuthi ngizonqoba," kusho uNtuli.