‘Professor’ still has much to prove despite Bungu coaching

The jury is still out on whether Makazole Tete has indeed turned the corner after roping in former world champion Vuyani Bungu as his trainer.

The talented yet erratic boxer, who goes by the moniker “Professor”, looked more like a pupil when he meekly surrendered both his unbeaten record and his world title aspirations in his loss to Gideon Buthelezi for the vacant IBO junior bantamweight title last December.

The defeat capped an indifferent run of form for the 29-year-old since joining Dowie Mzini.

Calls for him to get an experienced trainer who would be able to push him to the limit led to his promoter roping in Bungu.

Bungu, a record holder for most world title defences by a South African boxer, is renowned for his astute technique and motivational speeches.

However Bungu is not a slave driver casting doubt on whether he is the right man to whip the lazy Tete into shape.

And in their first assignment together last month, nothing showed that the partnership was yielding dividends as Tanzanian opponent Ramadhan Kumbele, who was expected to test him, proved to be a slouch.

The Tanzanian folded easily within a round despite not being struck by a telling blow.

The partnership will be severely tested when Tete takes on Filipino Raymond “Tornado” Tabugon at the Orient Theatre tomorrow with an IBF Intercontinental junior bantamweight crown at stake.

The show, by Xaba Promotions and Events, forms the third edition of the birthday celebration of the late Nelson Mandela.

Bungu has cautioned against rushing his prodigy, arguing that the partnership had yet to gel.

“I need a couple of fights before I can be confident that Makazole is ready for the big league in the division,” Bungu said.

If Kembele was the sacrificial lamb, Tabugon will be a matador if his performance against Duncan Village boxer Luzuko Siyo is anything to go by.

The skinny Filipino boxer arrived here as an unheralded customer shipped in to pad Siyo’s fight record as he was being steered towards world ratings.

However Tabugon turned into a tiger once the first round started as he matched the big punching Duncan Village boxer in all departments, even surviving controversial refereeing to outsmart his foe to a well-deserved win of the IBO Intercontinental junior flyweight title two years ago.

Ironically Siyo was once mooted as Tete’s opponent but the two boxers have since gone their separate ways.

While Tete has moved up to the junior bantamweight after his flyweight reign of terror, the 25-year-old Filipino has also made the trip up north.

Since his impressive win over Siyo, Tabugon has lost only once – when he was knocked out by dangerous Mexican Juan Hernandez Navarrete, who had come to their clash with a record of 28 wins and just two losses. Navarrete counts Jesus Silvestre – who lost a competitive fight to Hekkie Budler – as one his victims.

The tournament also features a title fight involving Aphiwe Mboyiya and Athi Dumezweni and a local derby between Ali Mangcotywa and Siphamandla Baleni.