ZAKHELE XABA
U KHALA ngeshobolo elilandela umshayisibhakela wakhe umqeqeshi, uZwi Magudulela, kampetha we-SA middleweight uChristopher “Put Up or Shut Up” Buthelezi okuvele ukuthi usekhishiwe ezimpini zeLudonga Boxing Promotions ezizoba ngoNovemba 28 e-Olive Convention Centre, eThekwini.
UButhelezi bekulindeleke ukuthi alwele ibhande le-World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African middleweight noJimmy Mabundji waseDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kuvele ukuthi ukugula kanzima kukanina, okuthiwa uphuma uyangena esibhedlela, sekuphoqe uphromotha uThulani Magudulela ukuthi amkhiphe ohlwini lwezimpi. Ubezobhulela amazolo impi ebhekwe ngabomvu yebhande le-International Boxing Organisation (IBO) flyweight phakathi kukampetha uMoruti “Babyface” Mthalane waKwaZulu-Natal noRenz Rosia wasePhilippines.
UButhelezi, ongomunye wabashayisibhakela abamkantshubomvu kulesi sifundazwe, ubhekane nobunzima nyakenye ngaphambi kokuvikela ibhande lakuleli kuWalter “Black Mamba” Dlamini ngesikhathi eshonelwa nguyise omncane. Liphinde lamlandela ishobolo ngaphambi kwempi yakhe noRocky Junior waseBrazil ngesikhathi ethola ukuthi indodakazi yakhe idlwenguliwe. Isehlakalo sesibili sazwela kakhulu kuyena ngendlela yokuthi wayebuye ahluleke ukujima ekhala ngokuthi inhliziyo yakhe ishaya kancane, uphelelwa ngamandla. Isikhala sempi kaButhelezi sivalwe ngezoba phakathi kukaFaizel Malinga noPatrick Mukala abazoxhimfana empini yemizuliswano eyisithupha esigabeni se-super middleweight.
“Ukuhoxa kwakhe akuzona izindaba ezimnandi ngoba kade sesibheke ukuthi uzolwela ibhande le-WBA. Iminyaka isihambile kuye, besifuna aqoqe noma yiliphi ibhande angalithola ukuze azenzele umlando ngaphambi kokushiya isibhakela. Kodwa konke kwaziwa nguMdali,” kusho uZwi.
“Uthintekile emoyeni, yikho sifinyelele esinqumweni sokuthi angabe esalwa. UButhelezi uhlale enezinkinga njalo uma ezolwa, angazi ukuthi kwenziwa yini. Kulokhu okwedlule ubekwazi ukuqhubeka alwe noma kukhona okumehlele kodwa kulokhu kube ngaphezu kwamandla akhe.”
Ngaphandle kukaButhelezi, kubukeka sekucaca ukuthi uThabiso “The Rock” Mchunu ngeke esabonakala kulezi zimpi ngenxa yokungaboni ngaso linye phakathi komqeqeshi wakhe uSean Smith nophromotha uMagudulela. Kuthiwa baxabana kanzima kubangwa indaba yokuthi uMchunu azolwela ibhande le-Interim WBA eThekwini okwaphikiswa nguSmith ezeseka ngokuthi umshayisibhakela wakhe uzokhathala futhi akakulungele ukulwela ibhande nokuthi incane imali ebekwe etafuleni.
UZwi usezoba sekhoneni likaSiboniso “Pretty Tiger” Gonya ozolwela ibhande le-WBA Pan African bantamweight noCletus Mbhele waseGauteng. Ngaphandle kwalokho kuzobhekwa amaqhinga akhe uma uStephen “Scaracara” Mdluli esebhekene noMwezi Ndlovu.