OBENGUMPETHA weSA heavyweight, u-Osborne “Big Daddy” Machimana, usephonse ithawula ngokuwina ibhande lomhlaba ngenxa yokuphikiswa yiminyaka.
Ezinyangeni ezedlule, uMachimana uqoke ukulaxaza ibhande laseNingizimu Afrika ngemuva kokufakwa ingcindezi yokulivikela yinhlangano eyengamele isibhakela iBoxing South Africa (BSA). Ubengakalivikeli kulandela ukuliwina ehlula umpetha u-Anton Nel ngoMeyi nyakenye. UMachimana waseLimpopo, ubengaqali ukuwina ibhande esigabeni sosondonzima kwazise waliphatha ngo-2010 kodwa laphinde lamlahlekela ngaphandle kokulivikela.
Ngesonto eledlule iBSA iphinde yakhipha isexwayiso kompetha “abagweve” namabhande, abangafuni ukuwavikela ngokuthi izowathatha. Nokho lokhu kubukeka kusekude ukwenzeka ngoba le nhlangano ayikazenzi zonke izinto okufanele izenze ngaphambi kokuphuca umpetha ibhande okukhona kuzo ukumhlelela impi yokulivikela ejimini yakhe.
UMachimana (37) utshele Isolezwe ukuthi usethathe isinqumo sokuzama ukuzakhela imali esheshayo ezimpini zamazwe ngamazwe. Ungomunye wosondonzima abasiza umshayisibhakela waKwaZulu-Natal, uThabiso “The Rock” Mchunu ozobhekana noJohnny “The Hurricane” Muller empini yebhande le-SA cruiserweight nele-African Boxing Union ezoba se-Emperors Palace ngoMgqibelo ebusuku.
“Ngeke ngisaba umpetha womhlaba, iminyaka isihambile. Ngibone kungcono ukuthi ngilwe izimpi zamazwe ukuze ngizakhele imali,” kusho uMachimana.
“Ibhande lakuleli ngivele ngaliyeka ngoba akekho ofuna ukulwa nami. Ibhokisa ebelinethuba lokuthi ngilivikele kulo nguRuann Visser manje inkinga sijima ndawonye, ngeke silwe. Ngibone kungcono ukuthi ngimshiyele lona alilwele.”
UMachimana uzanyelwa impi yemizuliswano engu-10 okulindeleke ukuthi ibe ngenyanga ezayo. Akanaye umqeqeshi oqondile asebenza naye kodwa uncike ejimini uVisser azilolonga kuyona. UVisser ulolongwa nguJames Ali Bashir owayepheka uWladimir “Dr Steel Hammer” Klitschko. UVisser uhlelelwe impi ezoba ngoJuni 23 e-USA.
“Uma sekusondele impi ngizomfuna umuntu ozoba sekhoneni lami ongafuni imali eningi. Uma kuwukuthi u-Ali Bashir ukhona ngizothatha yena. U-25% esiwukhokhela abaqeqeshi mkhulu kakhulu. Uma ngilwe izimpi ezine ngonyaka kusho ukuthi imali yempi egcwele iya kuyena. Iminyaka emithathu engisalele esibhakeleni kufanele ngiyisebenzise.”