Boxers – Men of courage! Some of the most memorable fights watched over the years often involve the lesser known fighters battling on the undercards of the big names in boxing.
These fights feature boxers who put everything on the line, take their bodies to higher levels, throw punches from the first second to the last and entertain the paying public so much so that the public just can’t wait to see the fighters back in action sooner rather than later.
Some of these boxers may remain journeymen forever, but a handful will climb the ladder and reach the top.
One of the most memorable fights I have watched over the past few years involved Thembani Mbangatha, our WBF African featherweight champion who defends his title this weekend at the Wynberg Military Camp in Cape Town.
What made the fight so memorable was not only seeing a potential future star in the making, not only seeing two fighters going toe-to-toe in a massively entertaining brawl, but was to see Mbangatha, a police detective when not boxing, dislocating his shoulder a few rounds from the end.
With his hand hanging helplessly by his side, and the obvious pain he was in, most of the fans believed he would certainly quit and rush off to the hospital. With the WBF title on the line, Mbangatha, nicknamed “Baby Jake” after the late South African superstar and world champion “Baby Jake” Jacob Matlala, would have none of it.
At the end of the round, when asked by his corner if he wanted to quit, he replied “That belt is mine!” – and boxed the next round one-handed! The shoulder was then popped back in at the end of the next round and Thembani went on to become a champion.
This weekend he faces his toughest test ever against Doctor Ntsele, the former South Africa and WBF Intercontinental champion, a man with vast experience. Thembani is up against it this weekend and another exciting and tough fight awaits.
Thembani will need to be at his best and the courage that this young man oozes will need to be in the ring this weekend. Looking forward to see the two gladiators in action, and hopefully another memorable fight awaits us.
Until next time, keep punching.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing Federation
