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It’s youth vs experience in this ‘Four go to War’

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Boxing glove (File)
Boxing glove (File)

Johannesburg - It will be a matter of youth versus experience when Azinga “Golden Boy” Fuzile and Tshifhiwa “The Atomic Spider” ­Munyai collide over 10 rounds at Emperors Palace on ­Saturday night.

The long-awaited bout forms part of Golden Gloves’ series dubbed “Four go to War” featherweight knockout tournament.

The other clash in the same division features Simpiwe “V12” Vetyeka against Lerato Dlamini.

The winners in each bout will get R175 000. They will then slug it out against each other in February for a stake in the R500 000 purse.

Unbeaten fight record

It will be a question of being thrown into the lion’s den for the 21-year-old Fuzile as Munyai is 11 years his senior.

Golden Boy comes into the ring with an unbeaten fight record of eight professional fights, three by way of knockout.

Munyai is an experienced campaigner with 33 fights under his belt, 28 wins, four losses and one draw.

Golden Boy, who will sit for his final matric examination in a few days’ time, has a tough task against The Atomic Spider who has almost seen it all in the ring.

Fuzile’s southpaw stance may be good enough to sway the fight in his favour. This was proved when he dethroned former SA featherweight champion Macbute Sinyabi whom he outpointed last September.

A look at the fighters’ stats suggests an interesting fight that might end in a knockout. Munyai has sent 16 foes to the canvas. But Fuzile would not like to blot his ring credentials by being dropped.

Meets a novice

The other bout on the bill will see Vetyeka returning to the ring after almost 18 months of inactivity.

Vetyeka was unified South Africa’s first world champion. He put his boxing career on the map by uniting the International Boxing Organisation and the World Boxing Association super featherweight crowns.

He stopped Indonesia’s Chris John in the sixth round in Australia in 2013.

V12 last fought in April last year when he outpointed Tsuyoshi Tameda of Japan in 10 rounds.

He meets a novice in Dlamini, who has had nine wins and one defeat from 10 bouts.

The rest of the bill includes a World Boxing Council international strawweight title fight between champion DeeJay Kriel and Nkosinathi Joyi, and a super middleweight bout between Patrick Mukala and Ryno Liebenberg.

Won crown by luck

. Boxing adversaries Bukiwe Nonina and Matshidiso Mokebisi last met in the ring in March last year for the SA female bantamweight title clash, won by Nonina.

She has successfully defended the title since and now they will collide again in a grudge match at Ferdi Meyer Hall in Welkom in Free State on October 26 for Nonina’s World Boxing Federation (WBF) bantamweight belt.

“Some of my critics have been saying that I won the WBF crown by luck. I’m determined to prove them wrong by beating Matshidiso for the second time,” said Nonina this week.

Mokebisi retorted: “I have ... worked on the mistakes that made me lose to Bukiwe. I’m ready to dethrone her.”

Also to feature on the bill is Sihle Jelwana against Gift Pilane for the Free State bantamweight title.

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